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About 65 Syracuse football players have returned to the Ensley Athletic Center for voluntary workouts, SU Athletics announced Tuesday. Every athlete, coach, football staff member and Department of Athletics staff member was tested for the coronavirus. 

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Airon Servais, redshirt junior quarterback Tommy DeVito and junior wide receiver Taj Harris were among the players returning Tuesday. About 130 people were tested for COVID-19 in total.

SU has not announced the protocol for players or staff members who test positive for the virus, but players will be isolated for at most two weeks until they receive a negative result.

Student-athletes have been grouped into “pods” to accommodate social distancing guidelines from New York state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the first phase of voluntary workouts, student-athletes are only allowed contact with those in their pod, including designated staff. The pods will eventually increase, first to 30 and later to the entire team.

Everyone entering or exiting the facilities must wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but they are not required to do so during workouts.

Director of Athletics John Wildhack announced in late May that he expects a fall 2020 football season that has a limited number of fans in attendance.

“In regard to football season, at this time we are anticipating and planning for reduced capacity to some degree,” Wildhack wrote in an email to season ticket holders.

Published on June 9, 2020 at 2:25 pm

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