Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy Apologizes for Wanting May 1 Return for Players

Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy apologized Saturday for his recent comments about getting players back on the field despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:

Gundy told reporters Tuesday he wanted his staff back in the building by May 1 with the players soon to follow despite health concerns:

"The NCAA, the presidents of the universities, the Power 5 conference commissioners, the athletic directors need to be meeting right now and we need to start coming up with answers. In my opinion, if we have to bring our players back, test them. They're all in good shape. They're all 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22-year-olds. They're healthy. A lot of them can fight it off with their natural body, the antibodies and the build that they have. There's some people that are asymptomatic. If that's true, then we sequester them. And people say that's crazy. No, it's not crazy because we need to continue and budget and run money through the state of Oklahoma."

The Big 12 has suspended all in-person team activities through at least May 31.

During this time, coaches are only allowed to take part in virtual group activities, including film study.

The 2020 college football season remains in jeopardy because of the lost time, with Ross Dellenger and Forde of Sports Illustrated reporting there could be a truncated season that begins in October. Other scenarios are being discussed, which include beginning the year in January of 2021.

Gundy wants his players to return well before that, despite the noteworthy health risks.

As of Saturday, there have been over 500,000 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, leading to more than 20,000 deaths, per CNN.com. There have been 94 deaths within the state of Oklahoma.

Though the respiratory disease has a greater effect on older citizens, it can still impact younger people. At least 45 people in their 20s have died from the coronavirus in the United States, Chris Mooney, Brady Dennis and Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post reported this week.

Those who aren't affected can also help spread it to others more at risk.