Gophers Rashod Bateman had scary battle with COVID-19, recovered and now 'so happy' - Strib

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"For nearly two weeks this summer, Rashod Bateman’s head and body ached, altering between chills and night sweats. Like a bad flu, but with the disconcerting addition of losing his sense of taste and smell.

The Gophers star receiver was one of the coronavirus pandemic’s victims. He didn’t know how he contracted COVID-19 because he’d tried to be cautious. But he had taken a California trip on a break from voluntary workouts, and a test later confirmed he and some others who traveled were positive.

“Just being scared and not knowing what it can do to my body because nobody really had any answers,” Bateman said Thursday. “And then I just felt like it wasn’t safe to play football this year after going through that.”

Bateman has asthma, which made the experience even scarier. It took a couple of days after his sickness to begin feeling normal, and it was enough for him to decide to opt out of the 2020 football season Aug. 4.."


 




Wow. Now his demeanor during that espn interview the morning after opting out makes more sense. He didn’t have much to say about the gophers when prompted by the interviewers. He was freaked.
 


I know hes a college kid and probably feels invincible but why travel during a pandemic!? Oh well glad hes fine and back with the team.
 

I wish he would have kept this out of the media. Literally nothing good can come of it. He already has the best case scenario. Now he's put his entire reasoning for opting out (don't want to get Covid because of asthma) out the window and his reasoning for wanting to come back now (better testing and safety procedures) is weaker too. It's a different governing body, but I worry about a situation similar to the USC commit Jake Garcia, whose parents technically fulfilled the requirements to get him eligibility at his new high school by legally separating, then decided it was a good idea to tell their story to the media and now he's been ruled ineligible since they aren't really going to get divorced.

Hopefully nothing happens, but only negative things are possible now.
 


I wish he would have kept this out of the media. Literally nothing good can come of it. He already has the best case scenario. Now he's put his entire reasoning for opting out (don't want to get Covid because of asthma) out the window and his reasoning for wanting to come back now (better testing and safety procedures) is weaker too. It's a different governing body, but I worry about a situation similar to the USC commit Jake Garcia, whose parents technically fulfilled the requirements to get him eligibility at his new high school by legally separating, then decided it was a good idea to tell their story to the media and now he's been ruled ineligible since they aren't really going to get divorced.

Hopefully nothing happens, but only negative things are possible now.
There's no reason to believe he didn't including this information when asking the NCAA for the waiver. IMO our compliance officer probably told him not to leave anything out so that they don't have a reason to revisit the decision.
 



There's no reason to believe he didn't including this information when asking the NCAA for the waiver. IMO our compliance officer probably told him not to leave anything out so that they don't have a reason to revisit the decision.
That's a good point. Hopefully you are right.
 

That's a good point. Hopefully you are right.
Further it doesn't seem like it would be Fleck's style either. I'm sure Rashid told Fleck after her found out it was covid back when he had it, so even if the compliance officer didn't know I'm sure Fleck was like "you have to let them know the whole story, tell them everything".
 

I suppose you could guess/argue that Bateman had inside knowledge that the Big Ten season cancellation was coming.

If that is true, then you could argue that if it had been well known that the Big Ten was planning to hold the season no matter what, then Bateman would not have opted out.

No idea if that would hold water, but just throwing it out there.
 

Regardless, Bateman certainly told the NCAA everything, and I mean everything, that lead to his decisions to opt-out, sign with and agent so quickly, and to opt back in so there is no reason to believe that this information will change the NCAA's decision.

While it is breaking news to us, it's likely not breaking news to the coaching staff, the team, or the NCAA.
 



Regardless, Bateman certainly told the NCAA everything, and I mean everything, that lead to his decisions to opt-out, sign with and agent so quickly, and to opt back in so there is no reason to believe that this information will change the NCAA's decision.

While it is breaking news to us, it's likely not breaking news to the coaching staff, the team, or the NCAA.
I just think, with all the hoops that he had to go through to get back on the team, once it was known that they were reversing the cancellation ..... that the likely cancellation itself played a big part in his decision, and thus if they never were going to cancel then he wouldn't have opted out.

That seems like a very reasonable argument to me, and perhaps something like that was their main argument to the NCAA? Wild guess
 

I just think, with all the hoops that he had to go through to get back on the team, once it was known that they were reversing the cancellation ..... that the likely cancellation itself played a big part in his decision, and thus if they never were going to cancel then he wouldn't have opted out.

That seems like a very reasonable argument to me, and perhaps something like that was their main argument to the NCAA? Wild guess
Absolutely, all I'm saying is that the information that he had contracted and recovered fro COVID prior to his decision was likely also presented to the NCAA as part of or tangential information to that argument. This would be done so that there wouldn't be a "With the new information the NCAA is going to revisit their decision about Bateman's waiver" type scenario.
 


He has shown he wants to be a leader and it's his right to share his own medical information. I'm relieved he seems to have come through the illness healthy.
 

Further it doesn't seem like it would be Fleck's style either. I'm sure Rashid told Fleck after her found out it was covid back when he had it, so even if the compliance officer didn't know I'm sure Fleck was like "you have to let them know the whole story, tell them everything".

I'm just curious why he held that piece back when he did opt out...certainly his right to do so, unless I am reading this wrong.
 




For those who have a subscription to The Athletic, there is a great piece today about Bateman's journey back to the Gophers: https://theathletic.com/2109454/2020/10/02/rashod-bateman-gophers-return-behind-the-scenes/
Couple of quotes from the article I wanted to highlight (the last one especially), definitely worth reading the full thing:
“I never wanted to leave in the first place,” Bateman said. “I just left because of my health. I never ever would’ve opted out if it wasn’t for my health. I didn’t want my time at this university to be cut short.”
Bateman told the NCAA his decision was based on concerns for his health after contracting COVID earlier in the summer, a situation that was exacerbated by the unclear protocols the conference would have for testing and attempting to control the spread of the virus. When Bateman left school, he argued, he had no choice but to sign with an agent so he could continue training in preparation for the draft.
In some ways, the outcome almost didn’t matter to him. He was back on the practice field catching passes from Morgan and laughing and joking with a group of friends that helped a kid from small-town southern Georgia grow to love this snowy metropolis. As much as he craved the competition of game day, what he missed most was the brotherhood with his teammates.

“Even though I wasn’t cleared by the NCAA,” Bateman said, “as long as I was able to get on the field and practice with them, I was happy as ever.”
As Bateman jogged out for practice on Wednesday, Fleck pulled him aside. The coach quietly told his big star that the NCAA had approved his waiver, but Fleck had one more challenge for Bateman to complete. He asked Bateman to keep it a secret until the end of practice. When practice concluded, Fleck brought Bateman up in front of the team and asked him if he had anything to say. When Bateman told his teammates, a massive celebration ensued.

“It was a special moment,” Bateman said. “For me, it was something I’ll never forget.”
 

I know hes a college kid and probably feels invincible but why travel during a pandemic!? Oh well glad hes fine and back with the team.
If he had to decide the safer choice between playing FB at MN, or taking a family trip to CA, it would not be traveling to CA. Poor choice for someone preaching caution.
 

If he had to decide the safer choice between playing FB at MN, or taking a family trip to CA, it would not be traveling to CA. Poor choice for someone preaching caution.
Huh? You know nothing about what he did on his trip. I took a family trip to a national park this summer. It involved walking through a nearly deserted airport, flying in a half full plane, and hiking on trails where I was outside and that most the time had others well distanced - if even in sight. TBH, I am at higher risk shopping at Target than I was on that trip.
 

Glad he's back no matter the circumstances. Certainly grateful too he had no apparent immediate complications, and hopefully nothing manifests long term.

One added bonus is that he can be a ray of hope and mentorship for any fellow teammates who may contract the virus not only during the season but beyond. The fear level is very high among some of the young, so anything that can mitigate that is a positive.
 



Bateman's narrative makes sense when you add the fact that the fear in August was that everyone who had Covid was not going to have heart issues. Opting out because of Covid fears make sense. Plus, with the new protocols there is medical examinations that make sure the heart is fine if he plays. Both of his statements are true. The only thing that changed was it was not a fear of getting Covid, it was a fear of what Covid may do to his body. His body is his ticket to the NFL and if that is taken from him he literally loses millions. Glad he is back and glad he is using his voice to RTB and make a difference.
 

Hard not to be scared when the media is telling you you're going to DIE. I don't blame him for a higher level of concern
 

Couple of quotes from the article I wanted to highlight (the last one especially), definitely worth reading the full thing:
Thanks for quoting this, as I don't have an Athletic subscription. The last one in particular, really love that.

Seems like a great example of small things that Fleck constantly thinks about and does, in the vein of "how can I improve the quality of my player's lives and wellbeing?" That's an edge over some other coaches, who haven't fully embraced that aspect of it, I think. Part of what makes him a great players' coach.
 




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