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Virginia Tech defensive back Caleb Fairley announced that he is opting out of the 2020 college football season. The potential 2020 first-round pick became the first high-profile player to opt-out of the season and he is now explaining his decision.
Farley will now focus on preparing for the NFL Draft and his decision came due to concerns over the lackluster approach to staying safe amid the coronavirus pandemic that he saw at Virginia Tech.
For Farley, the decision ultimately came down to family.
“This year at Virginia Tech, at our workouts, I started having deep concerns about staying healthy,” Fairley told NBC Sports. “Guys were going home, going to Myrtle Beach, coming back to campus, and we weren’t getting tested. We’re all together, working out, close to each other, and you have no real idea who might have it, if anybody might have it. One day I looked around, and we were like 100-deep in our indoor facility, no masks. My concern grew more and more.
“I started being really conflicted about playing. What this came down to is, I lost one parent. My dad is so important to me. Growing old with him means so much to me, more than football. I don’t know what I would do if I contracted it and gave it to him, and he passed. I couldn’t live with that. Part of me thought, I put all my eggs into this basket since I was 6 years old . . . just suck it up and play. Try to stay safe. But I couldn’t ignore all the doubts in my head.”
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Virginia Tech has not publicly commented on Farley’s decision.
The Hokies are currently scheduled to start their 2020 campaign on September 5 against the Liberty Flames at Lane Stadium.
