Mike Gundy met the media for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Oklahoma. The OSU coach opened his teleconference with reporters by going on a 20 minute monologue about what the country and state have faced. He also took time to praise Governor Kevin Stitt and President Trump.
He also laid out a plan in which he said he hopes to have his players back on campus and getting ready for the football season by May 1st. He added that plan could get pushed back a couple of weeks, but wasn’t sure.
Gundy added that some in the OSU football facility could have underlying health issues or are older which could force that date to be pushed back. Asymptomatic people can carry the virus.
His comments did draw some criticism though when he said, “If we have to bring our players back….test them….they’re all in good shape. They’re 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. They’re healthy. A lot of them can fight it off with their natural bodies. Their antibodies and buildup they have. You know there are people who are asymptomatic. If that’s true – yeah, we’ll sequester them. People say that’s crazy. No, it’s not crazy, because we need to continue to budget and run money through the state of Oklahoma.”
News 4 has reached out to Oklahoma State about his comments. The school sent the following statement:
“Everyone wants to return to some degree of normalcy as soon as possible. As for Oklahoma State University, we will adhere to the advice of public health experts who are making informed decisions in the best interest of the citizens of our nation and state based on sound scientific data. We will also abide by the federal and state mandates as well Big 12 guidelines. We will not compromise the health and well being of our campus community. This virus is deadly and we will do our part at Oklahoma State to help blunt the spread.”
