Auburn football players have been turning to Twitter in lue of the recent actions of returning college students.
Auburn University started class August 17 and according to social media, students headed straight downtown. Players including junior Anthony Schwartz and sophomore Kameron Stutts have expressed their concern on Twitter with the crowded venues and lack of masks.
“Us being on the football team we’re having to take extra precautions,” sophomore quarterback Bo Nix said. “We’re having to do things a little differently from other students. That’s just the nature of it. I think we’re in a good safe spot over here and we’re doing a good job social distancing and staying out of other people’s way.”
Over the summer Auburn football faced 34 positive cases of COVID-19, including one within the staff. The team was also tested last week, before the start of fall training camp, and received zero positive tests.
This pandemic started hitting close to home with that reality shock for the Tigers. Senior linebacker K.J. Britt said after several positive tests over the summer the team had meetings to talk about the accountability to each other and the team as a whole. He said it was a learning experience for everyone.
“Accountability is something that every team that’s going to be successful is going to have to have, especially during the pandemic,” Britt said. “There is so much at risk. That’s what we told the team. It’s too much at risk for you to not be accountable to your brother. Since we’ve had that talk we haven’t had one [positive] test and that was over a few weeks ago. I believe that explains the brotherhood we have here and the love for one another.
Britt was also open about COVID-19 affecting his family. Britt’s mother was diagnosed with the virus in March and was hospitalized for days. According to 24/7 Sports, Britt’s father also contracted the virus with less symptoms. Britt said it was a serious and scary moment for him and his family.
That accountability continued to ring true as this changed the whole perspective of the pandemic for Britt along with others across the nation. As numbers increase daily it becomes more and more of a discussion of protecting family members and friends.
“It’s a pandemic,” Britt said. “Just talking to people who don’t play sports, it’s really simple, just put your mask on. Just take the precautionary things you have to do, put your mask on, wash your hands...sanitize and lysol. Whatever the CDC is saying to do to help prevent [COVID-19] that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Overall, Auburn football is doing their part in taking the right steps to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in hopes of continuing their season. The steps seem to be working as the SEC released their official conference-only schedule late yesterday along with fan guidelines this morning. The season begins in just over a month so players and faculty alike are doing their part to prevent the spread of this virus so fans can see them on the field.
“It’s going to be hard everyone to continue to be absolutely perfect with how they’re doing this, how they’re out and about in town and things like that,” Nix said. “I think the only thing we can do as players is do our job and hope that the SEC and NCAA when they start making decisions they’ll make it in our best interest.”
*Photos do not belong to me but to The Auburn Plainsman
Original Post: https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2020/08/auburn-athletes-stress-seriousness-of-covid-19-encourage-fellow-students-to-take-it-seriously
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