New Rutgers NCAA college football head coach Greg Schiano speaks at an introductory news conference in Piscataway, N.J., Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. After an on-again, off-again courtship, Schiano is back as Rutgers football coach. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Greg Schiano
Two Rutgers football players have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Coach Greg Schiano discussed the positive tests Monday during a virtual conference call with the media. It was his first availability since the team was allowed to return to campus last week for voluntary workouts.
Schiano said players and coaches were tested before the team returned on June 15, either with mail-in tests or after being tested locally. One of the positive tests came from those samples and the player was not allowed to return to campus and is being isolated at home.
The second positive test came from a sample taken when the players reported. That player was isolated and three players who had contact with him were put in quarantine.
The university has a protocol for allowing players who test positive to return, which includes a non-positive test, Schiano said.
Schiano said players and coaches underwent a third screening on Monday.
Incoming freshman players also were allowed on campus on Monday and they were tested and put in a separate dormitory. They will not be integrated with the rest of the team until they pass a second COVID-19 test.
The workouts are voluntary and Schiano said some players have elected to skip them.
Schiano was hired in December to start a second stint as Rutgers’ coach. Chris Ash was fired early last season and replaced on an interim basis by Nunzio Campanile. The Scarlet Knights were 2-10 last season and have won nine games in the past four years.
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