On Sunday, a group of Pac-12 players listed the demands they require of the Conference of Champions, threatening to not play the 2020 season if their calls for increased safety measures and racial injustice aren’t met.
The group released its demands “To Protect and Benefit Both Scholarship and Walk-On Athletes,” on The Players Tribune and used the moniker #WeAreUnited to lay out their goals of the protest.
“#WeAreUnited in our commitment to secure fair treatment for college athletes,” part of the statement read. “Due to COVID-19 and other serious concerns, we will opt-out of Pac-12 fall camp and game participation unless the following demands are guaranteed in writing by our conference to protect and benefit both scholarship athletes and walk-ons.”
Their wishes included: COVID-19 protections, preserving all existing sports by cutting excessive expenditures, ending racial injustice in college sports and society, guaranteed medical expense coverage as well as name, image, and likeness rights & representation.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Cody Shear was listed as both Arizona State’s player representative and media contact, in charge of negotiating on behalf of his Sun Devil teammates. In a statement to Devils Digest he did clarify his position.
“I can't speak on behalf of my teammates and the program as a whole,” Shear said. “I think this is more than a boycott to a lot of people and it's also not a boycott at all in some people's eyes. This is about the players speaking up regarding important topics that we are faced with on a consistent basis as Pac12 athletes."
Current ASU football players and Sun Devil coaches have stated they are not supporting this boycott initiative, (Shear never implied that he himself would boycott the season either) and felt it does not paint an accurate picture. Defensive lineman Jermayne Lole even followed up Shear’s quotes by tweeting, “They sound craze, I’m gettin mine in this year. Regardless.”
Even if Shear’s voice does not represent the views of the entire Sun Devil squad, his concerns are ceratinly valid. In a statement to Devils Digest, he referenced his uncle, whose football career was cut short at the University of Oregon after numerous concussions. While his NFL dreams halted in an instance, the effects of those concussions persisted.
"I have had an injury-filled career in college football as well, breaking my foot, tearing both labrums in my shoulders, and two concussions,” Shear said. “We are just two examples of the many college athletes (many much less fortunate than us) who have dealt with injuries during their careers in college and face long term recovery issues.”
Shear’s issues, what he hopes to see the change in Tempe mainly revolves around COVID-19 precautions of long-term medical support. Where Shear, who is White, feels the Arizona State leadership has excelled is how they have dealt with racial issues. It’s the other 11 schools in the conference that could learn from the Sun Devils, Shear believes.
“I play for an African American head coach. My team as a whole is predominately African American as well. Having African American coaches is far too rare in this sport,” Shear said. “The need for insurance and economic inequality, it disproportionately hurts African American players because there are so many of them in the college football world.
“There needs to be more African American coaches like (ASU) coach (Herm) Edwards. He and the rest of my teammates are some of the best people I’ve ever met. It’s time everybody goes to bat in order to end racial injustice.”
Shear transferred to Arizona State last season after transferring from Oregon and, as a backup, the offensive lineman only saw the field in one game in Tempe. Regardless of his short marron and gold tenure, he wants to spark change, to impact the futures of his teammates and the thousands of Pac-12 football players that will come after him.
His goal is not to undermine or chastise the ASU program, one that Shear has expressed love and admiration towards. He simply wants the players who all the money for the Pac-12 institutions to receive needed benefits should they need them later in life.
"I am lucky to play for a coaching staff who truly cares about me personally, as well as my long term health. They do everything they can to prevent long term injuries, but there is only so much they can do,” he said. “Granting players the opportunity to have extended health insurance coverage would have a huge impact on our lives. This would especially help players from low-income families.
“Having health insurance after the end of our careers would allow players to take care of injuries, return to a normal physical condition, and prevent injuries from holding us back from our full potential in life.”
