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Syracuse Football: Key highlights from Dino Babers teleconference

By Ryan Lee

Dino Babers, Syracuse football (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
Dino Babers, Syracuse football (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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Members of the Syracuse football team are returning to campus and Coach Dino Babers spoke to the media about the pandemic, his team, and social injustice.

Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers spoke to the media via a Zoom call on Wednesday. On his call, he spoke about how the team and his staff are adjusting to life during a pandemic and his role in speaking out against racism.

Highlights of Babers’ media availability were posted by media members in attendance.

Life during a pandemic for Syracuse Football

As detailed here by Syracuse.com, Orange football players began returning to campus on June 8th. They would then be tested for Covid-19 and isolated from others until they tested negative. From Syracuse.com’s Stephen Bailey, Babers elaborated more on this plan, saying “groups are capped at 10 and were put together based on housing arrangments.” Bailey also included that the players would “arrive together, work out together, eat together, and leave together.”

The team had remained in touch before their return to campus with virtual meetings amid the pandemic. Conditions were less than ideal for coach Babers, who believes they set up an environment to “hear but not necessarily listen.”

Zoom has not been all doom and gloom for Babers though, as he believes it did bring an opportunity for players to learn new schemes on paper. Also, it will not deter Tony White and Sterlin Gilbert from getting “the most out of their guys.”

Babers also believes recruiting will remain limited without any visits or in-person meetings or scouting of prospects. Babers also said there is a “course of action,” for testing positive for Covid-19.

Babers on systemic racism and police brutality

On Wednesday, Babers released his first public statement on the events unfolding around the Black Lives Matter movement. In his media availability Thursday, Babers acknowledged how he wanted his coaching to “do the talking,” but speaking with some current players helped convince him to issue a statement.

Dino Babers notably is the first African-American head football coach for Syracuse and with a team predominantly made of from people of color, hearing from coach Babers became essential. Including Babers’ history of someone who grew up during the Civil Rights movement, as he said in his statement.

Babers acknowledged the importance of educating those who might not have shared these same experiences and how they need to be aware of the challenges that Babers has seen as an African-American man. Babers has had these important conversations with two of his sons-in-law in the past and could very well need to have them with some of Syracuse’s current players.

Babers’ statement:

Babers’ movie references, and on preparing during the pandemic

If Babers didn’t make a movie reference here or there when meeting with the press, it should be seen as a cry for help, so the head coach did not disappoint today.

Babers on QB/offense play

Babers on, well, anything

Final Highlights

Additional thoughts covered by media during Babers’ availability on Thursday.

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