Sep. 16--NORMAN -- Several OU players this week said that seeing their fellow students not wearing masks or not following the protocols they have to follow isn’t too difficult.

“We’re held to a higher standard,” h-back Jeremiah Hall said. “We’re expected to do the right things no matter whether it’s in the classroom, on the field or in the facility. It’s normal for us to be different than everyone else. It’s normal for us to be different than everyone else. It’s normal for us to follow the rules and follow the standard that is set by Coach (Lincoln) Riley for us.

“So if he tells us to wear a mask then it’s only right because we know that his kids are wearing a mask. I know that coach (Shane) Beamer’s kids are wearing a mask, so if they’re asking their families to, then it’s only right for us to.”

Center Creed Humphrey said it was hard to regulate what everybody does on a campus the size of OU’s.

“Kids are going to do what they want to do,” Humphrey said. “It’s our job to just stay away from that and keep distance from that. ... I’m not going to be bitter about anybody else doing what they want to do.”

Inside the team, Humphrey said, everybody is following the rules they’ve been given, which includes wearing masks in the facility and at practice and not going out to eat at restaurants.

Riley said his players -- and assistant coaches and their families -- were used to doing things others aren’t doing.

And having the players see the coaches’ families following the same protocols was beneficial.

“We all have to sacrifice,” Riley said. “There’s a lot of things that we have to sacrifice that a lot of other jobs don’t require. This is one of those things.

“I think it’s a message to the players, ‘Look, we’re all in this together. We’re having to do the same things, we’re all having to make the same sacrifices.”