USC football: Chase Williams speaks out in #WeAreUnited update

USC football defensive back Chase Williams was among the players quoted in an update to the #WeAreUnited movement.

When #WeAreUnited—the movement by Pac-12 players to demand greater health and safety protections, benefits and social justice reform—was launched on Sunday, USC football didn’t have any named representatives attached.

Now at least one player has put his name and voice behind the cause.

“Each day that the Pac-12 delays puts the players of this movement, it continues to put our health at serious risk,” Trojan defensive back Chase Williams said.

USC football player among those asking for more from Pac-12.

Players behind the movement released a statement updating their efforts to address a variety of issues in college football on Wednesday, as posted by Laine Higgins of the Wall Street Journal.

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In the statement, the players praised the NCAA Board of Directors for announcing measures that meet at least three of the groups’ original demands. Those include scholarship protection for players who opt-out of the 2020 season over COVID-19 health concerns, invalidation of COVID liability waivers and the requirement for schools to pay for athlete’ COVID-related medical expenses.

However, Washington State’s Dallas Hobbs pointed out how “players still don’t have any uniform, enforceable COVID standards to keep players safe.”

The statement revealed a group of players from California have asked governor Gavin Newsom “to issue an executive order to establish 3rd party COVID enforcement and to protect the eligibility of players who decide to opt-out.”

That issue remains to be addressed by the Pac-12 and the NCAA at large.

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When it comes to dealing with Pac-12 leadership directly, things haven’t exactly gone smoothly. Players bemoaned the Pac-12’s insistence on waiting “several days” to meet with the players, instead of meeting right away with Fall Camps scheduled to begin on August 17.

Williams made the first public statement on the issue from a USC football player. Others have posted social media graphics in support of the movement, including Jalen McKenzie, Greg Johnson, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Hunter Echols and Frank Martin.