Bulldogs keeping lines of communication open to express outrage
The laughs came at a fast and furious pace when Yale football coach Tony Reno jumped onto video conference calls with the returning players coming off yet another Ivy League title.
For about two months, the calls were about keeping the diverse group of returning players connected. Sure, there would be the mention of training regiments and some football chatter mixed in, but mostly it was just a chance for teammates and friends to catch up.
However, the dialogue took on a significantly more serious tone after images were broadcast of George Floyd’s death after he was being restrained during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25. Video of police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee pressed onto Floyd’s neck sparked outrage. There have been protests from coast to coast, many of the peaceful variety and others resulting in property damage and more disturbing videos.
The sense of outrage certainly reached Reno’s players.
“We have a call on Friday where guys can just talk and air out some things that they want to talk about,” Reno said. “I think it is important that the players know that they have the ability to speak freely and openly within our team. You don’t know how some people are feeling. Some people are sad, some people feel angry. You want to give them the vehicle where they can express that and support it. One of the other things we have at Yale is we have extraordinary resources in all sorts of departments that help our players and all the other athletes and students at Yale. We want to give them the opportunity to talk openly and be there for them to support them.”
Reno can often times be guarded in his comments to the media. However, when it comes to the current state of affairs, he did not hold back.
“I said to the team [Tuesday] night, I’ll put it honestly, I am angry and I am disturbed not just at this instance but the reality of racism and social injustice in our country,” Reno said. “It’s inexplicable how this is going on today, how we as a nation haven’t solved this problem and created an anti-racist society. I said to the team that it is up to all of us but it is up to us in white America to step up and help make this an anti-racist
society. My wife and I raised our kids that way, I know other people do too and for us, I look at Yale football as a great example. I know that there are other teams that would be great examples as well but we talk love and compassion all the time. We don’t ever talk or stress hate, that is not who we are. Our guys, they love each other holistically and embrace each other’s differences and we just hope that example that they set because they have made that decision to do that can be something that can be put out in society and others can see it that way. The biggest thing for our guys is just making sure we are supporting them because you don’t ever know how certain people are handling certain situations in life. I just want our guys to know that we are here for them and we are supporting them. I think they feel that not only from our coaches but from each other which I
think speaks volumes of the culture that our players have created.”
Reno raved about the job linebacker and team captain John Dean and the other team leaders have done in offering support to hurting teammates during these trying times. The hope is that COVID-19 will be controlled enough for the team to get together and take the first steps toward a third Ivy League title in the last four seasons.
“We don’t really know much right now,” Reno said. “All we know is that decisions are going to be made over the next few months and we will be ready to handle whatever decisions are made. We know whatever decisions are made will be in the best interests of all of our players and staff and everyone involved. The only thing we can control right now is getting ourselves ready to play, we are focused on starting on time, that would be an Aug. 20 report date. We are getting ourselves ready to do that, we are on course to do that. Our guys train remotely really well. I think our kids have done a good job of handling the circumstances and our sports performance staff have done a really good job of making sure that they are giving each player the tools they need to be successful.”
LAMAR BACK FOR FINAL SEASON
Alan Lamar had plenty of options after finishing as Yale’s third-leading rusher in 2019. He could have gone the graduate transfer route after missing the 2017 season due to a knee injury or start putting his ecology and evolutionary biology degree to use. He decided to remain at Yale and will join Zane Dudek to give the Bulldogs a dynamic 1-2 backfield duo once again.
“We are excited about that,” Reno said. “Obviously having him and Zane back really helps in the experience and the ability that they both have.”