Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is in a position to play football next month.
Or in winter. Or even spring.
You just need to put on your shoulder pads for the last time, run in the area in front of thousands of enthusiasts and revel in the excitement of school football. No matter if snow showers fly or birds sing, you just need one chance that the spread of COVID-19 threatens to take away from you.
“I just need to play football when the time comes,” Thompson said. “I just need to put the ball in my hands and compete. That’s all I’m worried about is that I just need to play football when I do. As long as it’s right.
Thompson was speaking Tuesday, when Big Ten announced the cancellation of fall sports and explored the option to play football in the spring. News that the Pac-12 was temporarily spread, joining medium-sized as the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West on a ship in a classic school football season.
Big 12, where the Wildcats play, had not yet made a decision. But as dominoes begin to fall into school sports, it is unlikely that one of the Power Five schools will enter the box next month.
“I need other people to be safe. I’m no stranger to what’s going on,” Thompson said. “But at the end of the day, speaking on behalf of each and every one, it would be great to have answers, not just make things happen. There’s so much uncertainty every day, how you can replace things in 24 hours, it’s very complicated for a player. I think if we were just looking for answers, we’d be able to see what it would look like, whether it was what we’re looking for or not.
Many of the most sensitive school players, adding Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, have made it clear that they need to play this fall. Lawrence teamed up through Ohio State Quarterback Justin Fields, Oklahoma State Offensive Component Chuba Hubbard and many florida state players, Oregon and other more sensible schools over the weekend their social media accounts to watch to save the fall season and be part of the decision-making process.
“We all need to play sports this fall. I’m sure all athletes should practice their sport,” Michigan defensive back Hunter Reynolds said. “They just need to do it safely.”
President Trump even intervened in the controversy Tuesday, repeating his call to take a stand this fall.
But the resolution does not depend on the players or politicians still on the rectors of the universities, who will have to weigh the aptitude and protection of their academics against other considerations, adding the significant monetary implications of not having a school football season.
“This was an incredibly complicated and painful resolution that we know will have a significant effect on our student-athletes, coaches, directors and supporters,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “We know nothing will make it easier.”
Pac-12 players at least know they probably wouldn’t bet this fall. The highlight now is to head to the leagues that have not yet made a decision, and then return to all the directors when they start fighting the customers of spring football.
“It’s a tough way not to know if we’re going to play or not,” said Kansas State supporter Justin Hughes, who got ahead of his senior season after missing much of last year due to a knee injury.
“We have one last lap. Don’t take it away from us, a year away from us, because there’s a tragedy right now,” Hughes said. “We need to do what we love safely, and to get there, we will.”
Boosting school football in the spring is not an undeniable response. No one knows if there will be better remedies or even a vaccine by then, and the state of the world may be almost the same as now. And for players with aspirations in the NFL – Lawrence, Hubbard and many others – the prospect of risking injury by playing up the draft almost in fact means that many of the most sensible stars will retire.
Unsurprisingly, the concern among many school football players is just a lost fall, but a completely lost season.
“I want this season. This is my last season,” said Syracuse’s tight winger, Chris Elmore, who was waiting for a word from the Atlantic Coast Conference to see if he would play this fall. “This may just be a chance for me to see if I move on to the next point or not. I’m in the game until I’m disconnected.”
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Ralph D. Russo, AP’s school football editor, and John Kekis of AP Sports, contributed to the report.
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