Arizona suspended offensive lineman Edgar Burrola for violating the athletic department’s COVID-19 protocols, Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin confirmed to the Arizona Daily Star on Tuesday.
Burrola, a junior, reportedly was resisting safety guidelines, such as requirements to use face coverings and maintain physical distancing during workouts. The Daily Star reported he was still on the roster but with a reduced scholarship.
Burrola acknowledged the discipline on his Twitter account and said the scholarship reduction involved his meal money.
“I stopped receiving meal plan the day I got suspended,” Burrola tweeted. “I’ve asked if my stipend is being taken away and they said it was in the suspension letter. I have yet to receive my suspension letter. I gotta pay my mortgage this week!”
Burrola first mentioned losing the meal plan in a tweet on Sunday and made suspension and scholarship reduction references on Monday while retweeting an item from the Arizona Athletics account.
Sumlin addressed the overall situation in which some players weren’t happy with the school’s measures, but he didn’t specifically mention Burrola.
“There’s some people that are saying that we’re making guys do this, we’re making guys do that,” Sumlin told the newspaper. “What we are making them do is go through the protocol. And if you’re not gonna adhere to the protocol, then we can’t have you here.
“It’s my job to protect and uphold that protocol for everybody else that’s involved in this organization — players, coaches, administrators, medical (personnel). You’ve got coaches’ families.
“If you’re not gonna pay attention to the protocol, wear a mask, all that other stuff, we just can’t have you around.”
The Daily Star reported that Burrola declined to comment when contacted.
Burrola started six games at right tackle last season and played in 11 overall in 2019. The previous season, he appeared in six games as a redshirt freshman.
On July 17, Arizona announced that three football players tested positive for COVID-19. The program has been conducting voluntary workouts.
Arizona is currently scheduled to open the season Sept. 12 with a home game against Stanford after the Pac-12 canceled the nonconference season.
