As UNC football players return to campus, health amid COVID-19 is No. 1 priority
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell is usually quiet. He’s brief with his answers. And when he does speak, it’s usually about football.
But when asked Thursday whether he was concerned about coming back to campus in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Howell was thoughtful in his answer.
“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned, but I just think we need to be smart about it,” Howell said in a Zoom call. “Obviously, everyone wants to play football. But at the end of the day, we’ve just got to do things the right way.”
“We’ve got to understand that football isn’t the most important thing in the world right now. Our health is the No. 1 thing.”
Earlier this week, Texas football announced that 13 players had tested positive for COVID-19. Two players at South Florida tested positive. Three players at UCF, the school UNC is scheduled to open the season against on Sept. 4, tested positive earlier this month. And eight Kansas State student-athletes tested positive earlier this week, according to the Wichita Eagle.
“We’ve got to be smart with the things we do,” Howell said. “We’ve got a really good staff that have done a really good job of making sure we’re on top of things.”
Howell was among a number of football players who returned to campus on June 12 as part of the university’s phased in approach to getting students back to campus. Another group of players returned on June 19. Two more groups will return later this month.
When those players arrived on campus, they were tested for COVID-19. Coaches were also tested, and UNC coach Mack Brown said many people received their results earlier this week.
While a number of schools have been transparent about the number of players on its teams that have tested positive, UNC has said that it will not release those results.
“Carolina Athletics will follow University protocols regarding the reporting of COVID-19 cases,” according to a statement from the university. “When an individual in the Carolina community tested at Campus Health tests positive for COVID-19, the University will notify the Orange County Health Department and will conduct contact tracing of those individuals who meet the CDC definition of close contacts.
“These close contacts will be provided instructions regarding quarantine and self-monitoring for potential symptoms. Carolina will not publicly provide information about specific individuals or cases.”
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham did not respond to a text message asking why UNC would not release the number of cases it has.
Playing and social distancing
College football players are currently allowed to participate in voluntary workouts.
Brown said that football team is following all of the necessary protocols and guidelines to keep the student-athletes safe. In buildings, everyone, including the staff is wearing masks.
“It’s not only for your protection,” Brown said, “if you want to play, even if you don’t have the virus and have been too close to someone who does, then you may be quarantined.”
Earlier this week, the NCAA’s Division I council approved a six-week plan that would allow teams to transition from voluntary workouts to regular workouts in July and then preseason camps in August.
But there is still uncertainty around how players can practice while staying safe.
“The young players had a player-led practice the other day and I asked, ‘how did it go?’ Brown recalled. “One of them said, ‘not very good.’ Nobody knew how to social distance and play.”
“We’re all trying to do what’s right, we’re trying to be safe, but we’re trying to get our questions answered.”
Being responsible
The last two group of football players will return on June 26, and June 29.
Men’s and women’s basketball players will return to campus on July 6. Field hockey, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and cross country athletes will return on July 13. The rest of the teams will return in August.
Each athlete is tested when they arrive, and eight days after they arrive. If they do test positive then they would be quarantined.
“We just can’t go out and party, be around a lot of people like normal college students would,” Howell said. “We’ve just got to be responsible with it. Know that we can really get it at any time, and we can spread it to our teammates.”
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 6:00 PM with the headline "As UNC football players return to campus, health amid COVID-19 is No. 1 priority."
