Hatters ready for season after a 14-month layoff
Dwight Lawrence couldn’t bring himself to watch much college football this past fall.
It was too painful of a reminder for the Eatonville native, who was set to begin his junior year at Stetson University. The 5-foot11, 175-pound defensive back was looking forward to reuniting with his Hatters teammates during fall camp as the team prepared for the upcoming 2020 season.
But all of that came crashing down after the Pioneer Football League, of which Stetson is a member, announced it was postponing the fall football season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“It was definitely very devastating when we found out the news because the guys put in a lot of work in the offseason,” said Lawrence, who amassed 70 tackles and five interceptions in 20 games over the past two seasons. “We worked really hard and we love the game and we wanted to play.”
While state programs such as Florida, Florida State, UCF and USF prepare for spring football camps, Stetson and many of its Football Championship Subdivision brethren are getting set to kick off a truncated season that ends with the FCS Playoffs in April.
“When you’re seeing people at the FBS level, finding ways and having the will to play, and you look around and you say, ‘Why aren’t we playing?’ I think that’s the other thing that makes the kids question what the decisions were,” Stetson coach Roger Hughes said.
After a 14-month layoff, the Hatters return to action with a six-game schedule set to kick off March 13 against Davidson College at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
“It’s been unique in the fact that we haven’t actually played a live football game in about 14 months,” Hughes said. “Our kids are really excited and really looking forward to it.”
Eventually, the sting of the league’s Aug. 7 decision to postpone the season faded and players and coaches turned their attention to what they could control, which was flipping their football calendars. Spring camp soon replaced the routine of fall football and after a winter break, everyone returned to campus with the goal of preparing for the upcoming season.
“It’s obviously not our typical prep for a season, but we just have to make a lot of adjustments,” Lawrence said. “It hasn’t been too difficult. You just have to be a bit more focused.”
One huge benefit of not playing football in the fall came in how the school dealt with the COVID crisis.
As universities across the country dealt with the skyrocketing costs of testing players and staff multiple times a week, Stetson was able to avoid those initial costs.
“As it turns out, I think this is a really good option for us,” said Hughes, who is in his eighth season as the Hatters coach. “I think with all the testing that we would have had to do last fall, financially it would have been cost-prohibitive to do it. But waiting until the spring gave us an opportunity to get the costs under control a little bit and still provide the experience that we promised these kids when they signed up.”
The delay also allowed Hughes and the training staff to consult with FBS programs to get their thoughts on best practices heading into the spring season.
“We all learned a lot of different methods and learned from mistakes that others had made,” Hughes explained. “Just in how we initially tested, we didn’t practice prior until the first test results came back because contact tracing takes out a huge portion of your team.
“We’re a lot further ahead than we would have been.”
That’s not to say things have been easy by any stretch of the imagination.
Players and staff are tested for COVID weekly, with the frequency of testing increasing to twice a week once the season kicks off. Everyone must wear masks and practice social distancing with team meetings taking place on Zoom.
“We do football in the morning, go to class, go to your room by yourself and repeat,” Hughes said of his players’ daily routine. “I don’t think a lot of people realize that, and I don’t think a lot of people realize the mental strain it puts on you when you’re not really sure that all the things you’re working hard toward aren’t going to be available to you.
“Because at any time, someone can test positive and that can cause us to cancel a game or move a game.”
For many of the players with roots in the Sunshine State, it’s particularly tough not to be able to spend as much time with their families.
“My family isn’t that far away,” said Lawrence, who grew up six miles north of Orlando. “I try to stay distant from there as well. You never know who has it [COVID] and I wouldn’t want to bring it home to them, and they know how important it is for me not to test positive for COVID, so they avoid coming up here. Although I’m close to home, it still feels distant.”
Football provides relief. Stetson opened camp Feb. 9, hosting an early scrimmage.
“It’s always good to be out there playing football, especially since not being able to have a game in a year and two months,” Lawrence said. “For the most part, we’re definitely on track for where we want to be heading into our first game, and I think we’re going to be in good shape.”
Added Hughes: “We’ve got a lot of work to do. What has stood out is there are some fundamentals that need some polishing. Tackling, for example; blocking. for example. Because we haven’t had that opportunity to do so for 14 months.”