Berry still optimistic football can be played safely

Head of the AFCA working with committee to give season a chance of happening

Much of Todd Berry’s time during the past few months has been spent on phone calls and videoconferences.

Berry, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, is a member of the NCAA’s Division I Football Oversight Committee and has been involved in countless meetings with college powerbrokers and medical professionals who are trying to come up with protocols for a fall season during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m on these medical group calls generally weekly and I’ve had some coaches joke with me that I’ve referenced something the doctors have said and I’ll use medical terms as if they should know them,” Berry said.

While the latest news hasn’t been good, with Ohio State and North Carolina forced to temporarily shut down their voluntary workouts due to increased numbers of positive COVID-19 test results among athletes returning to campuses, Berry remains positive football can be played in the near future.

“I’m actually still relatively upbeat just because when we brought our players back, the doctors told us what was going to happen and they were right,” Berry said during a recent interview with the Orlando Sentinel. “I’m a big believer in the group because of what they told us. And so far, what they’ve told us has come to pass and it gives me a little bit more hope for the season.”

Optimism is something short supply lately.

During the past week, the Ivy League, MEAC and other Football Championship Subdivision conferences have announced the cancellation of all fall sports and the

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