players report to campus thursday

[aubiefifty 16,706]

al.com

How Auburn plans to return football players to campus

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

7-9 minutes

When Auburn’s football players step foot on campus Thursday for the first time in nearly three months, it will signify the first steps toward a return to a sense of normalcy for the athletic program.

Following a prolonged time away from the facility — for many athletes the longest they’ve gone in years without any sort of formal in-person instruction — Auburn’s football team will report back to campus on Thursday evening ahead of sanctioned voluntary offseason workouts that will begin Monday. As Auburn prepares for the return of 85 scholarship players, plus walk-ons, the program — led by the stewardship of team doctor Michael Goodlett — has spent the last four or five weeks devising guidelines and protocol to follow to ensure a safe return to campus for the team in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“One of the things that you learn about moments of crisis is that you realize the talent we have in this athletics department,” Auburn athletics director Allen Greene said Tuesday. “We have people who have worked incredibly hard…. So many people in our athletics department, all the members of task forces. And we still have work to do. It’s not foolproof, right? It’s not foolproof. This virus, it’s different. But the plan that we have in place is one of the best plans I’ve seen.”

The details of that plan have not been fully disclosed, though Auburn coach Gus Malzahn provided some insight into the steps and measures the program is taking to ensure the health and safety of its players and coaches as they return to campus.

Players will begin arriving at Auburn on Thursday evening, with their reporting times staggered so as to limit the number checking into the dorms at a given time. Upon arrival, players will only come in close contact with their assigned roommate that night so as to limit the spread of any potential illness prior to Friday morning. At that point, all players—regardless if they’ve displayed symptoms of the coronavirus—will be tested for COVID-19.

Auburn anticipates the results of all coronavirus tests will be back within 24 hours. Once results are back and players have tested negative for the virus, the team will begin physicals and concussion tests with team doctors, as well as some fitness-related tests administered by strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell ahead of workouts on Monday.

Any player who tests positive for COVID-19 will be immediately isolated in a separate dorm and will be quarantined under a separate protocol, the exact details of which were not disclosed on Tuesday. One pertinent detail regarding positive tests is that Malzahn said a plan is in place for contact tracing should a player test positive for the coronavirus in order to attempt to stamp out any potential outbreak among the team. It’s also why the program plans to make sure players are only around their roommate for those first 48 hours before test results come back.

“Doc Goodlett has done a super job of making sure that if someone tests positive, we will have a record of who’s been around, who’s in contact, and obviously they’ll be tested at the same time,” Malzahn said. “That should help. I think the challenge will be, as we move forward and trying to get back to some kind of normal, you know, everything that goes with that. But we feel very good about our plan, especially the first seven days.”

During those first seven days, players will be quarantined in their dorms—even those who may have previously lived off campus will be required to stay in the dorms—and contact will be limited to small groups. Once workouts begin on Monday, players will be separated into groups of eight to work with Russell and the strength and conditioning staff at the football facility to maintain social distancing guidelines as they return to the weight room and indoor practice facility for conditioning drills.

Along with workouts, players will be educated on proper safety measures for when the program decides to “release them back into normal settings.” That will include providing all players with masks to wear in order to help mitigate the spread of airborne droplets that could carry the virus or other diseases.

While workouts will happen in person under the supervision of Russell and his staff, the team will continue to conduct meetings through Zoom, as they’ve done the last couple of months from home during their time away from campus. It’s something that has become routine for Malzahn and the team, at this point, so that transition should be seamless.

Malzahn and his staff will also conduct team-building exercises during that first week, especially with how much free time everyone will have during that period of quarantine in the dorms.

“I’ll just say this, I’m very excited and I know our staff is excited to have our players back,” Malzahn said. “This is really big. We’re ready to get things back going.”

While all players will be tested for coronavirus upon their return to campus, the program has not yet finalized its plans for continued testing. When asked how often players will be tested after that initial test on Friday, Malzahn said they are still undecided on how to go about that.

“We have the ability to do that at any time, but we’re going to have the temperature gauges and check for symptoms every day before they enter the building,” Malzahn said. “We do have the ability (to test more often), but that’s kind of undecided at this point.”

Though Goodlett and others have been working on the plan for a safe return to campus for players for more than a month now, Malzahn said Auburn is taking things “week by week” and did not divulge the steps the program plans to take following that first week of testing, quarantining and education.

The key focus the first week, along with making sure everyone is healthy and cleared to begin workouts, is making sure all players understand the new operating procedures and safety protocols to help ensure that there will be football this fall.

“It's bigger than them,” Malzahn said. “You've got to understand -- I probably worry just as much about my coaches and older guys, support staff; we're just going to be responsible. And I think the motivating factor is that we all want to play football. I promise you our players are probably at the forefront of that. So, with coming back, there's going to be a responsibility. And that responsibility is going to be making sure that you stay safe and you do the things you're supposed to do -- social distancing, the mask…. The good thing is our coaches have been back for two and a half or three weeks, and we've all been operating. It's gone very well so far.”

As far as when actual practices or organized team activities will begin, Malzahn and others are still waiting for guidance from the SEC, which he believes is waiting to see how everything goes the next couple of weeks before making any decisions in thar regard.

“That's why we decided to go overboard the first week and isolate and quarantine for seven days,” Malzahn said. “I don't know what other teams are doing, but I'd bet very few are doing that.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[GwillMac6 20,607]

🙏🔥🎉❤️

[gravejd 3,269]

Good to hear! There is hope for football yet

[WVR 818]

Great news!! I think we all could use some football this fall.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

This is great news.

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

Prayers for all these kids to be healthy and happy to be back together. I have complete faith that Auburn will do what is best for their athletes. I've really been impressed with the leadership throughout all of this.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Alabama players may have already ruined it by testing positive.

I have my own opinions but I can already feel it in my joints; the storm of overreaction brewing...

[Sizzle 3,909]

I hope everybody stay safe and healthy but Oklahoma state had 5 players test positive and Bama had 5+ guys test positive. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

1 hour ago, Sizzle said:

I hope everybody stay safe and healthy but Oklahoma state had 5 players test positive and Bama had 5+ guys test positive. 

I think we are finding out that may people, especially young people are running around Asymptomatic(no symptoms), but carrying the Covid-19 virus. It initially will look bad, since now they have to start quarantining them as well those they came into contact with. 

The problem is that they are the spreaders, and could be infecting those people who are vulnerable to serious fall-out from being near them. This is the worry in the fall and what will curtail sporting events or delay them further unfortunately.

[TigerTale 357]

They may be on campus, but social distancing will still be expected. The question is when will the social distancing rules be dropped. Hard to play football and social distance at the same time...though I did once see Tre Matthews attempt a social distancing tackle against Leonard Fournette. Maybe that's the future of football.

[I_M4_AU 7,771]

32 minutes ago, TigerTale said:

They may be on campus, but social distancing will still be expected. The question is when will the social distancing rules be dropped. Hard to play football and social distance at the same time...though I did once see Tre Matthews attempt a social distancing tackle against Leonard Fournette. Maybe that's the future of football.

These rules will be subject to change.  I can not see players wearing masks while they are exerting themselves needing every bit of 02 available being required to wear one.  BTW, Tre Matthews was pressed into action as he had a shoulder issue during that play against LSU.  I agree it looked bad, but he gave the attempt.  It was a lot like the Bama safety that totally blew the coverage on Terrell Zachery’s TD in the 3rd Qtr of the Iron Bowl.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, TigerTale said:

They may be on campus, but social distancing will still be expected. The question is when will the social distancing rules be dropped. Hard to play football and social distance at the same time...though I did once see Tre Matthews attempt a social distancing tackle against Leonard Fournette. Maybe that's the future of football.

Aw man, I was going to go with a crack about our OL last year. 

I used to make fun of that Matthews play but I have since been corrected. He was already in boatloads of pain and a lesser man wouldn't have been on the field. It's such a shame. He's a really tough dude and it's really unfortunate that play happened in that game and in that rough patch that our entire defense was going through. Again, I was guilty at the time of making fun of it at the time- most of us were- so not judging.  

[AUsince72 11,084]

It was still funny.  It's okay to laugh at that play.

Lots of badasses have made funny looking plays.  That one play doesn't make Tre Matthews any less of an Auburn legend.

....afterall, he also helped create The Miracle at Jordan-Hare too. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

It was still funny.  It's okay to laugh at that play.

Lots of badasses have made funny looking plays.  That one play doesn't make Tre Matthews any less of an Auburn legend.

....afterall, he also helped create The Miracle at Jordan-Hare too. 

Unfortunately, most fans aren't as, uh, committed (insane) as a lot of us on here and only remember him for the LSU play.

As for the uga play, he never touched the ball. He was going to make the play but the other guy screwed it all up.

I'm really great at parties. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Unfortunately, most fans aren't as, uh, committed (insane) as a lot of us on here and only remember him for the LSU play.

As for the uga play, he never touched the ball. He was going to make the play but the other guy screwed it all up.

I'm really great at parties. 

I hear ya'.  ....and I'm glad he WASN'T allowed to make that certain play!

Flip side of people only thinking of the LSU play for TM would be those that don't remember Bo making one of the most infamous mistakes in Iron Bowl history in '84.

Just a microcosm of us all.  Nobody's perfect. 😁

[abw0004 10,106]

 

[LKEEL75 2,566]

I wondering if wearing these masks all the time will help them during the games.  I know that cross-fit trainees us those O2 depriving masks to simulate high altitudes and to help them get into shape.

JUST KIDDING.  I know these are not the same masks

[ToraGirl 5,498]

2 hours ago, LKEEL75 said:

I wondering if wearing these masks all the time will help them during the games.  I know that cross-fit trainees us those O2 depriving masks to simulate high altitudes and to help them get into shape.

JUST KIDDING.  I know these are not the same masks

If the coaches wear masks when they make calls, does that influence the predictability quotient?  😁

[I_M4_AU 7,771]

21 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

If the coaches wear masks when they make calls, does that influence the predictability quotient?  😁

There’s always a silver lining, they won’t have to put up the play sheet to hide what they are saying when talking.  A win-win.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

2 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

There’s always a silver lining, they won’t have to put up the play sheet to hide what they are saying when talking.  A win-win.

Is there a mask big enough for the picture cards?  Are there materials less conducive to gum-interference?  Asking for a friend on behalf of many coaches... 🤣

[gr82be 14,402]

6 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

It was still funny.  It's okay to laugh at that play.

Lots of badasses have made funny looking plays.  That one play doesn't make Tre Matthews any less of an Auburn legend.

....afterall, he also helped create The Miracle at Jordan-Hare too. 

Someone could make a very interesting trivia question out of Auburn's most memorable Matthews play. 

[Win4AU 4,052]

Jay Tate was saying Marco Domio is the only player that hasn’t reported.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I read that 1 Oklahoma State football players and so far Alabama has 5 players that has COVID-19. How in the world are we gonna have football this year?

[I_M4_AU 7,771]

14 hours ago, ToraGirl said:

Is there a mask big enough for the picture cards?  Are there materials less conducive to gum-interference?  Asking for a friend on behalf of many coaches... 🤣

The picture cards do not create transmissions that cause COVID-19, so we’re good.  The gum chewing is an interesting thought as I didn’t think of that.  However, it could be adventitious to the art of gum chewing.  The coach, when he needs to bark out a command, can just spit out the gum and bark out this command.  If the gum still has not been sufficiently chewed, he has that piece still available to use.  You just have to think outside the box.

[steeleagle 2,945]

15 hours ago, auburn4ever said:

I read that 1 Oklahoma State football players and so far Alabama has 5 players that has COVID-19. How in the world are we gonna have football this year?

...But Alabama is claiming 17