Courtesy of Arizona, we have a unique reason for a football player seeing punishment being meted out.
According to Tucson.com, offensive lineman Edgar Burrola has been suspended by the Arizona football team. Why? For violating the athletic department’s COVID-19 protocols. The website wrote that “Burrola’s resistance to following safety protocols, which include face coverings and physical distancing during on-campus workouts, led to concern within the program that Arizona could become another Michigan State or Rutgers.”
Both of those Big Ten schools announced in the past week that their entire football teams had been placed under quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns. In late June, Arizona paused its phased return of football players due to increased cases of the virus in the state.
“There’s some people that are saying that we’re making guys do this, we’re making guys do that,” Arizona head football coach Kevin Sumlin told the newspaper. “What we are making them do is go through the protocol. And if you’re not gonna adhere to the protocol, then we can’t have you here.
“It’s my job to protect and uphold that protocol for everybody else that’s involved in this organization — players, coaches, administrators, medical (personnel). You’ve got coaches’ families.
“If you’re not gonna pay attention to the protocol, wear a mask, all that other stuff, we just can’t have you around.”
Appearing in 11 games last season for the Wildcats, Burrola started six of those contests at right tackle. Tucson.com wrote that the redshirt junior will remain “on the roster with a reduced scholarship.”