‘I got their back’: Mizzou’s Drinkwitz on #WeWantToPlay, college football uncertainty
With college football’s 2020 season in doubt because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz reached out to his players Monday to let them know “we think about them and we care about them.”
It’s been a whirlwind few days, with rumors of postponements and cancellations. The Big Ten is reportedly on its way to a spring season, according to the Detroit Free Press, while the Mid-American and Mountain West conference have already announced they’re making the shift.
With the fate of the fall season unknown, multiple student-athletes across the country — including some Missouri players — have expressed their desire to suit up via the #WeWantToPlay hashtag on Twitter.
No matter their viewpoint, favoring play or not, Drinkwitz supports their stance amid the global pandemic.
“I told them I got their back — whatever that is for each individual player,” Drinkwitz told The Star during a phone call Monday. “If a player says we want to play, he wants to play. I got his back and I’ll support that. If a player comes out and says he wants to opt out, then I got his back and I’ll support that.
“I understand both of those decisions are incredibly tough and I’ll support either one of them equally. That’s my job as a head football coach, is to have my players’ back in anything they choose to do.”
Drinkwitz’s message throughout the pandemic has stayed firm: “You can do everything right and still contract COVID.” Monday afternoon, he said Mizzou is employing the best practices it can in hopes of limiting the players’ and staff’s potential exposure.
Players are masking up, social distancing, washing their hands regularly and staying at least six feet away from each other, Drinkwitz said. Other precautions, like hand sanitizing and wearing of face shields during workouts, are also in place to keep the players safe. While other schools — especially in the Big Ten — were forced to stop working out because of outbreaks, Mizzou has yet to encounter the need to do so.
“I personally don’t believe that there’s any more risk in our building from catching COVID than outside of our building,” Drinkwitz said. “Regardless of what the outside circumstances are, our job is to find the way. Right now, we’re doing everything we can to find a way to play and keep our guys safe. That’s what we’re working towards.”
As it did when some other Power Five conferences were switching to conference-only schedules, the SEC is choosing to act methodically while examining potential postponement of the fall season. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement via Twitter he’s preaching “patience” as the conference does its due diligence.
“We know concerns remain,” Sankey said. “We have never had a (football) season in a COVID-19 environment. Can we play? I don’t know. We haven’t stopped trying. We support, educate and care for student-athletes every day, and will continue to do so ... every day.”
Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk shared similar sentiments as fall sports athletes on campus continue to prepare for their upcoming seasons. MU’s volleyball, soccer and cross country teams’ seasons have thus far been postponed through at least Aug. 31.
Drinkwitz’s Tigers are set to open preseason camp Aug. 17 for a Sept. 26 start to the season. Sterk said he believes camp will break as intended, with no changes — at least for now.
“Since college athletics stopped back in March, the Southeastern Conference has not rushed its decision-making processes while working collaboratively to develop plans for all sports to return to play in the healthiest environment possible,” Sterk said in a statement. “Working with Commissioner Sankey, his staff and our medical task force, I can tell you that we have not stopped trying to find ways to bring sports back in the COVID-19 environment we live in today. As of (Monday), volleyball and soccer practices for the 2020 season are underway and we have every reason to believe that at this time football practice will begin as scheduled a week from today.
“By being deliberate in our decision-making processes as a conference, I believe the SEC has given its teams the best opportunity at the chance to play this fall, and while we continue to explore all options available to compete, now more than ever, it is critical that we continue to educate, support and care for our 550 student-athletes who proudly wear Mizzou’s Black & Gold.”
Drinkwitz said the final decision about whether to play this fall will be made by the SEC’s administrators, including school presidents and athletic directors. Whatever their choice, Drinkwitz said, the Tigers will be ready to play if they’re allowed to do so.
“Hopefully they give us an opportunity to play if they deem it safe,” Drinkwitz said. “I submit to authority. If our athletic director, president and SEC commissioner says it’s not safe to play football, then I’ll submit to that. If they say it’s safe to play football, as a football coach, you tell us we have an opponent, I’m used to, ‘We have no excuses — get the job done.’”