A bombshell report on Tuesday claimed Colorado State’s football coaches have been openly defying coronavirus protocols and threatening players who follow them, but several members of the team have come out and denied the allegations.
According to Miles Blumhardt of The Coloradoan, Colorado State football players and athletic department staff say they have been instructed by coaches to not report COVID-19 symptoms and threatened with reduced playing time if they quarantine. There was also a claim that CSU has been altering contact tracing reports in order to assure players can continue practicing.
“I believe there is a cover-up going on at CSU,” one anonymous current Colorado State football player said. “But they could only cover it up so long and now that we have so many cases across athletics, they can’t cover it up anymore. It’s not about the health and safety of the players but about just trying to make money off the players.”
A total of 10 players and staff members contacted The Coloradoan regarding CSU’s handling of the coronavirus situation, but several others say the allegations are false. Many players took to Twitter to bash the report and express support for their coaches.
This is completely inaccurate. The coaches have done a tremendous job at keeping the health of the players and staff a top priority. The plan they have is to keep the players safety in the center. Very inaccurate. https://t.co/iOKUkQGpLe
— Trey McBride (@mcbtrey) August 4, 2020
False , our coaches main priority is our health, they’ve been more than amazing keeping us healthy and following the covid-19 guidelines https://t.co/HjCa4FqNuu
— owen snively (@owen_snively) August 4, 2020
Lots of misinformation. All coaches wear masks at all times. We fill out a symptom questionnaire daily before we are allowed into the facility. They even provided us w/ masks and wash them daily. The athletes/staffers that complained are the same ones not following protocol https://t.co/AeJu3cH3Mw
— Toby McBride (@tobymcb) August 4, 2020
Zero truth to these claims. Coach Addazio & staff have put forth tremendous effort to keep players as safe as possible on and off the field. There has been a calculated approach for safety at CSU, and an open door policy for any issues or suggestions. Incredibly innacurate. https://t.co/2aLO2jEZt1
— Cam Reddy (@camreddy__) August 4, 2020
Fake news. The @CSUFootball team does everything right when it comes to handling COVID-19. Next. https://t.co/bu1GM8AGak
— Ross Reiter (@reiterr50) August 4, 2020
Coming from a player with a compromised immune system. I never once felt like @CSUFootball ever put me in jeopardy. I have felt very comfortable and safe while going through both voluntary and mandatory workouts. The allegations are not true.
— CWWGGM (@toddycenteio) August 4, 2020
One parent of a Colorado State player said the team was overcautious when her son wasn’t feeling well and made him quarantine for 10 days even after he tested negative for COVID-19.
My son is a CSU football player, he has said the complete opposite! He wasn’t feeling great, was NEGATIVE & still had to sit out 10 days. He said when he rejoined practice his coach did NOT hold it against him at all! Said they wear masks and have to report symptoms every day! https://t.co/rgN5FvxHte
— Tara (@TaraCullen4) August 4, 2020
The root of the disconnect is unclear. Obviously, some members of the football program feel Colorado State is handling the situation poorly. Others strongly disagree. That could be the result of players being treated differently or different situations, or perhaps members of the coaching staff are not on the same page.
A group of Pac-12 players recently started a movement called “#weareunited” in which they have listed demands for playing this college football season. One coach in the conference has come under fire over a leaked conversation he had with a player about the movement.
