Louisville Football Holds Fall Camp with Safety in Mind

Cardinals participating in faster-paced two-week fall camp

Louisville football’s fall camp is underway, albeit different due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The schedule for fall camp is more condensed as the breaks throughout the day have been removed for faster-paced practices.

Even with COVID-19 cases increasing around the country, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford said players haven’t felt unsafe during the pandemic.

He asks players before meetings how they’re handling the chance of being exposed to the virus from athletic activity.

“It’s our job to make sure we are listening to these guys,” Ledford said. “We care about these guys, their safety is first and foremost with us.”

Twenty-nine student athletes at Louisville tested positive for COVID-19 this week following an off-campus party, but athletic director Vince Tyra said no football players were part of the contact tracing.

Redshirt senior Robbie Bell said the team trusts the protocols put into place to curb the spread of the virus.

The offensive guard tries to go about preparations for the 2020 season as he usually would, despite altering some routines due to guidelines intended to mitigate the risk for COVID-19.

“Our entire camp is built around trying to limit contact as much as you can playing football and having a camp,” Bell said. “Obviously you’re going to think about it going to practice wearing a mask.”

Bell said practices in fall camp haven’t been too different. During water breaks, players will keep their distance from each other and wear masks.

UConn became the first FBS team to cancel its season because of the coronavirus on Aug. 5.

Louisville continues to compete in fall camp with mindset of playing this fall.

“My hope is that all of us can do our part, whatever it is, to make sure we can continue going forward with progress,” Ledford said.