UNC Football: Sam Howell, Tar Heels join #WeWantToPlay movement

Sam Howell, members of UNC football program join #WeWantToPlay movement

In an effort to avoid cancelling or postponing the 2020 college football season, a number of student athletes across the country have spoken out using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay over social media outlets over the past week.

Some of the sport’s biggest names, including Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields of Ohio State and North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell have used their platforms to discourage the current trend that has seen the MAC and the Mountain West cancel their fall sports seasons, and rumors of the Big 10 and Pac-12 doing the same thing. While the latter two may simply postpone the start of the season, there’s still the imminent threat that the season will never take place, and that’s something that many players feel starkly in contrast of, despite the obvious risks involved in playing.

Howell is one of those players, and so are North Carolina’s Patrice Rene, Beau Corrales and Michael Carter. Howell is still just a sophomore, but the other three are seniors who are hoping to parlay their college time into a playing career in the NFL. The UNC standouts took to Twitter in recent days to share their thoughts, and back the movement that just might save the 2020 college football season.

https://twitter.com/TriceTopszn/status/1292634678290259969

The Big 10 was thought to be cancelling their fall sports seasons as of Monday afternoon, and the Pac-12 was expected by many to follow suit. That doesn’t appear to be the case now, as multiple sources are now reporting that the Big 10 plans to carry out the season, but with a later start day than usual. That puts additional pressure on the Pac-12 — one-fifth of college football’s Power 5 conferences — to cancel football season altogether. Two members of the Big 10, Nebraska and Iowa, voted to play football this year, even if it requires them to do so outside of their conference.

As of now, the ACC and SEC both appear to be moving forward as if the college football season — and other fall sports — are going to take place. By the time it’s all said and done, college football fans may have Trevor Lawrence, Sam Howell and company to thank for keeping the season alive.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the 2020 season, and everything UNC football.