In the third episode today of Player's Comments Bring a Major College Football Program to its Knees, this time it's Virginia Tech's turn in the spotlight.
Hokies cornerback Caleb Farley, viewed as a top 2021 draft prospect, penned an entry for Peter King's FMIA column explaining why he became college football's most high-profile (to date) opt out.
This year at Virginia Tech, at our workouts, I started having deep concerns about staying healthy. Guys were going home, going to Myrtle Beach, coming back to campus, and we weren’t getting tested. We’re all together, working out, close to each other, and you have no real idea who might have it, if anybody might have it. One day I looked around, and we were like 100-deep in our indoor facility, no masks. My concern grew more and more.
I started being really conflicted about playing. What this came down to is, I lost one parent. My dad is so important to me. Growing old with him means so much to me, more than football. I don’t know what I would do if I contracted it and gave it to him, and he passed. I couldn’t live with that. Part of me thought, I put all my eggs into this basket since I was 6 years old . . . just suck it up and play. Try to stay safe. But I couldn’t ignore all the doubts in my head.
People say I could have waited till the NCAA canceled the season and then just not play. Or play a few games and then announce I was opting out. But I couldn’t do that. I knew what I had to do. So last Monday night, I went to Coach [Justin] Fuente’s office. I was so nervous. I just took a deep breath and told him my decision. He tried to talk me out of it. But I was firm. What I will always respect about Coach Fuente is, he said he loved me and will always be a Caleb Farley fan. That meant the world to me.
The last passage of the first paragraph -- "we were like 100-deep in our indoor facility, no masks" -- drew lots of concern, naturally.
On Monday afternoon, Virginia Tech released a series of statements responding to Farley's comments and explaining the depths it's going to to keep the virus at bay.
Here's head coach Justin Fuente:
"I spoke with Caleb earlier today and I feel much better about the context of his comments regarding his personal concerns regarding COVID-19. In our conversation I also told Caleb that I will always love and support him and that I'm looking forward to cheering him on as he pursues his dream of playing in the National Football League. We at Virginia Tech will always wish Caleb Farley and his family the very best.
"One of my most important responsibilities as the head coach of the football program at Virginia Tech is to put the best interests of our team, our players, our coaches and our staff at the forefront of every decision we make. We are entrusted with that task every day. I have the utmost confidence in medical guidance provided by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Rogers and our Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine, Mike Goforth, as well as the plan they are implementing along with our campus officials to allow our team to train and prepare for the upcoming season. I appreciate their tireless work and support the procedures they have put in place for our team."
And Virginia Tech chief medical officer Dr. Mark Rogers:
"(D)aily screening protocols and monitoring measures are in place in accordance with the standards established by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Montgomery County public health officials. An abundance of caution continues to be utilized to ensure all equipment and facilities are sanitized and cleaned appropriately.
"Student-athletes and staff have been issued personal protective equipment to wear in indoor areas. The Beamer-Lawson Practice Facility continues to be utilized in an open-air configuration in accordance with health department guidelines. As another safety precaution, all staff members have been issued additional personal protective equipment to wear during workouts and practices. In conjunction with Mike Goforth and Tech's Sports Medicine team, we will continue to follow the latest guidance from Virginia Tech, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the CDC."
Virginia Tech does not report testing statistics for its athletes, but the Hokies are not among the 15 programs that have shut down workouts due to COVID-19 outbreaks in the locker room.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.