UW's Cade Otton on Lurking COVID-19: 'We Feel Really Safe'
Cade Otton is one of those guys who does everything right.
As the grandson of a school football coaching legend, this University of Washington tight end has turned himself into one of the nation's better players at his position.
He's likely a high NFL draft pick soon enough because he can catch and block with great efficiency, reminiscent of Mark Bruener, a one-time Husky tight end who played 14 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.
So Otton would be a logical person to ask whether the UW is doing enough to keep him and his teammates safe during the ongoing pandemic.
"We feel real safe and we have been the entire time we've been here, from the University of Washington and the Pac-12," Otton said. "We've been able to keep the virus out of our facilities throughout this whole entire time. I feel safe."
The UW set up testing protocols in mid-June and has found 19 positive cases among its athletes, just a handful of whom are football players.
With practice set to begin on Friday, and the opener coming on Nov. 7 at California, Otton also was asked whether the new normal because of coronavirus — no fans — would have much of an impact in how he and the other Huskies approach the newly configured season.
"We practice every day without a crowd," Otton said. "We bring a lot of energy. We get each other going. I don't see that being any different on game day. Even more so, I think we'll bring more energy. We're super excited to get going and play some games and make a run at winning everything. "
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