If you’ve been following the news of the past week, you’ve no doubt seen a group of Pac-12 players unify in concerns about safety precautions taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic and a potential return to play.
Big Ten players also followed suit with a “Unity Proposal” outlining a desire for additional measures and concerns just after the conference released a revised conference-only schedule on Wednesday.
And while that’s all well and good and who can really blame them during these extraordinary times, some Ohio State players responded with their own message in support of the university with what protocols and practices have been put in place in Columbus.
Players like Jonathon Cooper and Tuf Borland began sharing a collaborative statement from many of the Buckeye players that provides overwhelming support and confidence for what is happening within the program when it comes to player safety and measures to keep them safe.
Perhaps one of the most striking parts of the statement comes in fourth paragraph of the crafted response.
“It has been said that college athletes are being “‘exploited'” not only in the stated letter but also in the media,” reads the statement in part. “We recognize that there are risks, but we have all chosen to be here and want the chance to play this fall. We know that there is still a long way to go as plans continue to change everyday, but we have a consistent voice in the discussion.”
You can read the entire statement below, but it is clear that a lot of the Ohio State football players feel empowered on both sides, and that many of them want to compete this fall.
— Jonathon Cooper (@JonathonCooper7) August 7, 2020
On a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday, Ryan Day reiterated his support for the student-athletes to have a voice in this whole thing, and it appears as though they are doing just that. There are many that don’t feel safe, and that’s okay, but clearly there are some that want to compete in the worst way.
There’s no right or wrong, but the other side of this is that there are many that are looking forward to the season.
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