Diaz says Canes close to 85-percent vaccinated threshold
University of Miami football coach Manny Diaz does not want a repeat of what he endured last year. And we’re not talking the horrendous play against North Carolina, although that pain no doubt lingers.
Diaz and members of his staff went through some pretty awful bouts of the coronavirus, as did many of his players — at one point being without at least 15. But within the next few weeks, as several players await their second COVID-19 vaccinations, according to Diaz, the Hurricanes will reach or exceed the 85-percent threshold that medical advisors say would permit the team to go about life as normally as possible.
The coach addressed media Wednesday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff, then met with three South Florida beat writers shortly afterward, with players D’Eriq King, Bubba Bolden and Mike Harley all saying they received the Pfizer vaccine in the spring.
New ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said Wednesday that seven of 15 ACC programs, including nonfootball member Notre Dame, have mandated vaccines for all students on campus. Miami is not one of them. ACC medical advisors are now formulating league protocols regarding whether teams will be forced to forfeit games should they not have enough healthy players.
“Yeah, I think you try to use your influence,’’ Diaz said. “We try to give them the best information out there. We’ve had doctors come speak to the team, do Q&As to get their fears and questions answered. We role-modeled as a staff. We got vaccinated. That is now a requirement at the University of Miami for staff. And then the big thing that helped us a lot is our leadership. Some players early on went out, got it.
“There have been studies, regardless of football, your odds of getting vaccinated have a lot to do with whether your friends are vaccinated. It was guys like D’Eriq that went out and were some of the first ones to get it on the team and they were fine and some of the fears maybe were put aside...
“Are we going to go through this again?’’ the coach asked. “Because the virus is obviously not going away. Are we going to miss games? Are we going to get caught in contact tracing? Are we really going to be at the hotel the day before Alabama waiting to find out whether we can play or not?
“The 85 percent allows us to get back to normal in terms of how we travel and eat, those kinds of things. We haven’t had a team meeting in our team meeting room since March 2020.’’
King said he is concerned about the Delta variant that has seen a rapid spike in COVID patient admissions throughout Florida.
“I mean, who knows what’s gonna happen with that?’’ King said. “Hopefully it’s not another COVID situation, but it is so crazy these days, you never know. So yeah, I’m worried a little bit.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t want to be that guy who says, ‘Go get the shot.’ But I think the majority of our team has gotten the vaccine.”
INJURY UPDATE
Diaz mentioned that several of the at least 15 Hurricanes who missed the spring game mostly because of injuries would be able to practice in some capacity when fall camp opens Aug. 6. He’ll have a better idea Tuesday, when the staff goes through every player on the roster and their limitations. Offensive guard Jakai Clark (car accident, shoulder) is doubtful for the season’s start. Running back Don Chaney (shoulder surgery) should be back for practice, but TE Dom Mammarelli (shoulder) “is a little bit behind Don.’’ Cornerback Al Blades Jr. (stress fracture in lower body) “is over that ... but is working out with modifications’’ with running groups.
CB Te’Cory Couch
(neck) and WR Jeremiah Payton (knee surgery) are full go, LB Sam Brooks (surgery on toe) is healing but might not be back. OL Cleveland Reed (pectoral muscle) is back, as is DT Nesta Silvera (shoulder surgery). CB Marcus Clarke (jaw) is fine and safety Brian Balom (neck) is good, too, Diaz said. He didn’t expound about TE Elijah Arroyo (knee).
Tight end Larry Hodges (arrested in March, but not subsequently charged) is back working out with the team and ready to go for practice.