Oklahoma State Puts Together Medical Task Force for Player Return
(Oklahoma State University Athletics Media Relations contributed to this article)
STILLWATER – A task force consisting of medical experts plus leaders from campus and the athletic department has been working to ensure a safe return for all Oklahoma State student-athletes, starting with football.
As Pokes Report reported on Tuesday, the Cowboy football coaching staff returned to the West End Zone on Thursday and held a staff meeting. It was confirmed that anybody that would come into contact with players or works in areas that players will likely be present will be tested. The first round of testing is set to take place on Friday. They will also likely be tested twice a week throughout the summer.
In fact, Oklahoma State standouts in running back Chuba Hubbard and wide receiver Tylan Wallace are already back in Stillwater and they are getting attention from the sports medicine staff, but are not using the facilities for workouts until the Big 12 mandate of June 15.
Hubbard and Wallace will be joined by teammates that include quarterback Spencer Sanders, running back L.D. Brown, running back Deondrick Glass, receiver Dillon Stoner, receiver Landon Wolf, receiver Langston Anderson and others on June 1 to get acclimated, tested, rehab, and learn protocols for the voluntary workout period.
Players will come back to campus in three waves with Monday, June 1 being the first, June 4 being the second, and the final wave on Monday, June 8. The goal is the everybody set to begin the workouts on Monday, June 15.
The task force will oversee and make sure the protocols are in place and followed.
The leader of the task force is Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSU Center for Health Sciences president since 2013. Shrum has been integral in developing testing capabilities statewide during the pandemic. Other medical professionals from the OSU Center for Health Sciences included in the task force are Dr. Johnny Stephens and Dr. Dennis Blankenship.
The football staff has already been briefed by sports medicine personnel, including team physician Dr. Val Gene Iven, head of athletic training John Stemm and the head football trainer Scott Parker on the protocols going into place once the student-athletes are back on campus.
The weight room will be a heavy emphasis as much of the work will be done in there, but locker rooms, showers, meeting rooms, really every inch of the facility will be regularly and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Dr. Val Gene Iven has served as the OSU athletic department’s head team physician and director of sports medicine since 2007 and is joined on the task force by OSU sports medicine professionals John Stemm and Scott Parker.
Other members of the task force include OSU director of university housing Dr. Leon McClinton and leaders of the OSU athletic department such as Deputy Athletic Director Chad Weiberg, Director of Human Performance Rob Glass and more.
Oklahoma State Athletics Safely Return to Campus Task Force
- Dr. Kayse Shrum, President, OSU Center for Health Sciences
- Dr. Johnny Stephens, Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, OSU Center for Health Services
- Dr. Dennis Blankenship, Interim Senior Associate Dean, OSU Center for Health Services
- Dr. Val Gene Iven, Head Team Physician/Director of Sports Medicine
- John Stemm, Head Athletic Trainer
- Scott Parker, Head Football Trainer
- Chris Barlow, Senior Director, OSU Counseling & Health Services
- Dr. Leon McClinton, Director of University Housing
- Chad Weiberg, Deputy Athletic Director
- Brandon Meyer, Athletic Department Legal Counsel
- Rob Glass, Director of Human Performance / Strength and Conditioning
- Kyle Waters, Director of Athletic Facilities
- Mack Butler, Director of Football Operations
- Rod Johnson, Assistant Director of Football Operations
- Wes Edwards, Director of Equipment Operations
- Justin Williams, Director of Football Equipment Operations
- Ben Crawford, Cowboy Dining
