Oklahoma State Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus After Attending Protest

Amen Ogbongbemiga, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, went to a protest in Tulsa

Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga of the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

An Oklahoma State football player says he tested positive for coronavirus after attending a protest in Tulsa last week.

Amen Ogbongbemiga, a second-team All-Big 12 selection for the Cowboys last season as a junior, made the announcement about his positive COVID-19 test on Twitter.

“After attending a protest in Tulsa AND being well protective of myself, I have tested positive for COVID-19,” he wrote. “Please, if you are going to protest, take care of yourself and stay safe.”

The linebacker and 29 other players returned to campus on Monday and were subsequently tested as part of the return of Oklahoma State athletes.

Per school protocol which is based on local and state health department recommendations, Ogbongbemiga will quarantine in separate on-campus housing and be re-tested multiple times in the comings weeks.

Over the weekend, the Nigeria native shared a personal message about the issues plaguing the U.S.

A captain for the Cowboys last season, Ogbongbemiga finished with 100 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss last year.

His positive test lends credence to the warnings some health experts have issued about the danger of nationwide protests leading to a spike in coronavirus cases.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that these can become breeding grounds for this virus,” Dr. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told USA Today. “I would not be surprised to see in the next couple of weeks that we see increases that may be linked to protests.”

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