Charlotte 49ers practice on as reality of a college football season gets muddied
Unsettling news about the college football season continued to chip away at the edges of the Charlotte 49ers’ program Monday.
Old Dominion, a fellow member of Conference USA, announced it was canceling all fall sports. That, at the least, cost the 49ers a date on their football schedule (Nov. 14 against the Monarchs at Richardson Stadium). At worst, the ODU news cast doubt on whether C-USA can play a season if at least one of its members (so far) decides not to field a team out of concern for the coronavirus.
In the meantime, the 49ers practiced for a third time Monday, this time in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. They’re scheduled to go in full pads Wednesday, with the preseason’s first scrimmage set for Saturday in Richardson Stadium.
Athletes, coaches and staff of 49ers teams practicing have had 51 additional COVID tests taken since last week, with no more positives. That’s 545 total COVID tests taken since June 10, with six positive tests.
“I told our guys at the end of practice that this is probably the first time in my career as a coach where I know what they know,” 49ers coach Will Healy said on WFNZ radio’s Clubhouse With Kyle Bailey on Monday afternoon. “Like, how much insight am I really going to be able to give them?”
The weekend had brought a mixed bag of news for Charlotte and college football. Saturday morning, the 49ers announced they’d scheduled 19th-ranked North Carolina for a game in Chapel Hill on Sept. 19, plugging one hole in their schedule after Tennessee and Norfolk State had canceled games.
Sunday, rumors swirled that Power 5 conferences were on the verge of canceling their seasons at some point this week, moves that would certainly compel Group of 5 leagues like C-USA to follow.
None of that had happened as of Monday afternoon.
“With this pandemic, it’s just a metaphor for life,” 49ers senior safety Ben DeLuca told The Observer. “You never know what’s next. You never know what’s coming around the corner. We’re just hoping and praying we’re going to play. But it’s not something in our control.”
Some 49ers players — including quarterback Chris Reynolds, linebacker Tyler Murray and receiver Rico Arnold — have expressed their support on Twitter of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s push over the weekend to save the season, which also sparked a discussion of a college football players association.
A players organization is something Healy, a backup quarterback at Richmond during his playing days, would support.
“I think it’s the best thing that could ever happen to any of our guys,” Healy told WFNZ. “Players having a voice: What is wrong with that? We have a leadership county council because I want them to have a voice. We have open conversations with our players about race, religion, culture, all these type of things, because I want them to have a voice. And then I want them to make sure that they’ve done their research when they do have a vote.
“It’s important that these players are heard. I don’t care what they look like or where they’re from. We’ve got some really, really powerful voices and powerful people when their voices are heard. They’re great people, they’re educated, they know what’s going on out there and they can make a difference.”