This is how the coronavirus pandemic has changed UM players, families as return draws near
University of Miami senior receiver Mike Harley has done his best to stay active and prepare his body for an eventual return to campus after spending most of the past two-plus months of the COVID-19 pandemic with his family in Lauderhill.
But his parents, Mike and Timico, have been struggling to pay their bills after Mike’s weekly work hours were cut to 12 and Timico’s hair styling business had been all but barren. With eight children together in one home, there’s plenty of love — and plenty of frustration.
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Adam ElGammal, one of the last players still living in campus housing when he flew home to Long Island, New York, on March 22, is heading back to a new South Miami apartment Monday. But during his time at home, his grandfather died and his father, who couldn’t travel outside the country, never got to say goodbye in person.
Junior tight end Will Mallory, who usually lives in a South Florida condo with tight end Brevin Jordan and safety Bubba Bolden, can barely wait to reunite with some of his teammates this week in Miami after spending these months at home in Atlantic Beach outside Jacksonville — where he works out multiple times a day, including with his older sister and mom.
As the Hurricanes’ time at home with family dwindles, some players already are planning their return to campus to begin the reintegration period that eventually leads to practices, and, they pray, a football season.
“We are working with campus on a plan that will allow guys to start returning to campus in June and July with the idea that they will be ready for fall camp and our scheduled season opener [against Temple] Sept. 5,’’ UM athletic director Blake James told the Miami Herald.
In late March, some of Miami’s football parents shared their hopes and fears as the players were released from campus to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic after only four days of spring practice. This past week those parents reflected on how their lives have changed.
Many of the injured or rehabilitating players already have been summoned back to UM, and others were asked to report to UM on Thursday for physicals. Most expect to return the next couple weeks. One thing they all have in common: the intense longing for a football season.
Mike Harley and Timico Slaughter
Mike Harley and Timico Slaughter, who have been together since early 1996, have six daughters, four of whom were adopted, and two sons. The youngest is 6-year-old Anthony Michael. The oldest is 22-year-old wideout Mike Jr. Mike, who is UM’s top returning receiver (38 catches for 485 yards and three touchdowns last season), normally lives alone in an off-campus apartment. Except for recently, since late March he has been hunkered in his parents’ rental home with the family of 10.
“He’s been in Atlanta for almost three weeks training,’’ Mike Sr. said. “He’s running routes, doing footwork, hand work, everything. I’m praying to God they can go back soon. They need to be back at school. You gotta understand. They’re in college and consider themselves grown, but they still need supervision.”
Mike Sr., who works for Alsco Linen, has been “praying to God” because he has been unable to get feedback about his unemployment status regarding his severely cut hours. “I’m trying to find out when I get my check,’’ he said. “Certain people get it and certain people don’t. I know we have a bad situation going on but the bill collectors don’t care. You’re saving and trying to do everything right and then you have to wipe out your bank account to pay your bills.’’
Timico said Mike Jr. “most definitely’’ is following COVID-19 safety measures. “He’s wearing a mask, gloves, has antibacterial hand wash, instant foam, gloves. Everything is in God’s hands and we have the wisdom and knowledge to respect everybody’s distance.
“Since late March it’s just been crazy. Not working with all of us sheltered at home. Teenagers. Michael missing football. My other daughter college bound but not being able to go yet. A first grader. All the food, all the laundry, all the cleaning.”
Timico and Mike Sr. both believe there will be a season.
“UM is saying all the kids will be tested for COVID,’’ Timco said. “I think they’re going to do it all. They said last week that hopefully all the kids will be back by July.
“Mask everyone up. Get the fans there — maybe not a lot of fans, but at least family members, alumni, boosters, very important people who play a big part of UM’s family. I think they should be allowed to go to games. If some people have to be cut out, then do it.
“Mike Jr. is not worried. He’s confident there will be a season. He told me things will be looking up by the end of June or early July.’’
OSHALA PAYTON
Oshala Payton is fortunate. She still has her job as a senior operations specialist with JP Morgan Chase, and is now working from home.
Jeremiah Payton, 18, is going into his redshirt freshman season and considered one of UM’s best young talents at receiver. He and his mother have been together in their Jacksonville home since late March, Oshala getting work done while Jeremiah takes classes and communicates with his academic advisors and coaches through Zoom videoconferencing.
“It’s been a great experience having him home because usually we’re so many miles away,’’ Oshala said Wednesday. “I enjoy his company. I enjoy our talks about life and school. Just the other day I said, ‘Well, son, it looks like you’re going to remain home a little more than we expected. I guess it’s time to get a job.’
“He said, ‘Ma, I gotta work out. I’m ready to go back to school.’
“I’d much rather see him in a regular classroom. It would be easier to focus. At home it’s easier to be distracted and sometimes connectivity issues come up.”
Oshala said Jeremiah still “has that same frustration” from being away from football. “He said it drives him crazy, but he’s being active and staying relevant with his workouts. He and his friends are always looking at old football memories — things that happened last year in college or in high school. He’s always pulling up Pop Warner pictures.’’
Jeremiah works out in Jacksonville with trainer Koreen Burch, who was born in Miami, played cornerback for Ball State through 2010 and is cousins with former UM safety Greg Threat. Jeremiah told his mother he now weighs 200, up about 10 pounds. “It’s safe to say he’s eating his fair share, but he is definitely fit and taking care of his body.’’
Oshala said she’s “praying deeply” for there to be a season “because these kids are athletes and that’s their first love. There has to be some type of gratitude they’ve learned through this — the separation will make them stronger. They’ve seen how easily something they love can be taken away.”
Jeremiah’s mother said her son now does his own laundry and takes his own car to get the oil changed. Had he done that before? “Heck no,’’ she said.
As for Jeremiah’s look, it’s a bit different now.
“He has a full beard,’’ his mom said. “They really couldn’t go to the barbers like they wanted to. So when he grew it out he just didn’t cut it off. I’d love him to cut it because it makes him look like he’s somebody’s dad.’’
Deloris and Mohamed ElGammal
Adam ElGammal will be leaving New York on Monday to drive with his mom Deloris and sister Lames to the siblings’ new rental apartment in South Miami. Lames, who just graduated from Brown, will begin work as a veterinary technician during a two-year gap before veterinarian school. Adam, a stellar student who just ended the spring semester with a 3.48 grade point average, has been training with his father Mohamed, a personal strength and conditioning coach for college athletes.
“I think there will be an adjustment period for the whole team,’’ said Deloris, a New York lawyer and recent professor at SUNY Westbury. “But Adam will be fine.”
Deloris, who will soon be relocating with her husband to South Florida, said she had mixed feelings about her children returning home. “I didn’t want either one of them to be ripped from a situation they had grown accustomed to — independence, being around friends in a school environment. But at the same time it was a blessing having the family together.
“For me the past two months have been challenging but wonderful. We’ve had our ups and downs with shopping while social distancing, being stuck in the house and trying to find ways to get outside safely. At the end of the day we all were scared about this COVID thing. This generation has been hit with a lot of stuff: the environment, our political situation, COVID-19 ... There’s a normal anxiety that any young person at this age would feel. We’ve had those conversations in our house.’’
Adam and his sister spent most of their time at the nearby home of their mom’s father, who died this past January. And while the 6-4, 298-pound tackle was just getting over that death, his father’s father died at age 93 on May 22 in his home of Alexandria, Egypt.
Because of the coronavirus situation, Mohamed could not return for his father’s funeral.
“We went into COVID mourning my dad and then my husband loses his dad,’’ Deloris said. “We’ve been dealing with a lot of emotions.”
Now, they’re all trying to look ahead.
“I honestly feel they’ll probably have a season without fans in the stadium,’’ Deloris said. “At this particular point it’s probably the safest thing to do because the players are in a different management system than the fans. They’ll be monitored for COVID-19, but how do you monitor the fans? There’s no structure there.
“For the safety of the players and fans, maybe they’ll still sell tickets and people can watch virtually on demand.”
Said Mohamed: “The kids want to have a season, but it’s out of their control.”
Kim Mallory
Junior tight end Will Mallory, listed as 6-5 and 240 pounds, has immersed himself in twice daily workouts, which include one with his mom Kim and older sister Kathryn, a graduate student who studies architecture at Michigan. The three are home in Atlantic Beach near Jacksonville with Will’s father, Mike, a former Michigan football star and current assistant special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“William is waiting to hear when the players can really get back into the weight room at Miami,’’ Kim said Wednesday, “because he doesn’t want to go back otherwise.” By Saturday, Kim said Will had been given the green light to return to Miami to soon begin throwing with the quarterbacks. “Actually, he looks really good. I know he’s been working a lot on getting his thighs and legs bigger and stronger. He’s been putting in a lot of work.’’
In March, Kim told the Herald that Will, 20, had been eating voraciously and she was visiting the grocery store multiple times a week. On Wednesday she said she had “learned how to manage.’’
“I figured it out,’’ she said. “I keep a lot of chicken and lean protein cooked so he always has some for whatever. He makes a lot of wraps. I do fix other things. It was supposed to be taco Tuesday this week and it turned out to be matzoh ball soup instead. We also have a really good seafood market here by the docks where the fish comes in. Coaches wanted him to maintain his weight and he’s probably around 240 now.”
What has living with Will and his sister again been like for Kim and Mike?
“I love it,’’ Kim said. “It’s a little bit of an adjustment but it’s time you never expected to have with them so it’s been fun. My husband’s mom lived with us for a month when this first started because we were afraid for her to be alone. She was here and the kids were here and the conversations were really nice — things we haven’t had in a long time.”
Her gut on the season?
“It might be a different look and different product. As a mother, I want to make sure there are safeguards in place, as much as anyone knows how to safeguard. If a player gets infected, that could knock out your team. You have to isolate and quarantine and take care of them.
“William just wants to get back and play and probably isn’t thinking as much about the periphery and what has to happen to enable them to play.”
Kim said when her son finally returns to school, she’ll have to again get readjusted.
“I’ll miss him,’’ she said. “I keep thinking I will have him only a couple more days. I’ll just try and have fun.’’
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
