Nick Bosa unsuspectingly sat at at a podium on Super Bowl Opening Night in the Miami Marlins’ ballpark, amid all the glitz and benign talk that kicked off the annual, media sideshow.
Out of the blue, a Chinese reporter asked him about the coronavirus. This was Jan. 27, before COVID-19 erupted into a global pandemic.
“I definitely remember that, because people thought it was pretty funny,” Bosa recalled Thursday.
What made it funny was, well, a lot about Bosa’s answer, and certainly nothing about the actual virus.
Bosa did not flinch. He relayed sage advice “to all my Chinese friends out there, wash your hands and stay clean, because there is a virus going around.” He capped off his impromptu, public-service message by hoping everyone enjoyed Super Bowl LIV. (Six days later, the 49ers went on to lose 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.)
#49ers Nick Bosa asked to give a public-service message about the #coronoavirus pic.twitter.com/hZHcQtJK7d
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 28, 2020
The coronavirus question came during a 45-minute session that included Bosa being asked by reporters about a variety of topics about the upcoming game as well as memories of his native South Florida, including a question posed by his one-time babysitter.
“I had never really heard of the virus at that point,” Bosa said Thursday. “But I remember somebody talking about just making sure washing our hands and being smart about it. I just said it and it turned out to be one of the most important things you could do to avoid it, which is pretty much any virus.”
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa (97) signals no catch while playing the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Dr. Bosa, if you will, was ahead of the game on this, literally. He went on to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award five nights later, on Super Bowl eve, for his on-field exploits as the No. 2 overall draft pick.
This is not “any virus,” not by the worldwide impact it’s done from a health, sociological and economic standpoint. Over 22 million cases have been reported and nearly 800,000 deaths globally, including 5.5 million cases in the U.S. and 173,000 deaths nationally, according to Johns Hopkins University California currently has 647,062 cases and 11,689 deaths, as of Wednesday’s report.
In the 3 1/2 weeks since NFL training camps opened, teams have avoided a COVID-19 outbreak. The NFL Players Associated reported Aug. 12 that 64 players had tested positive.
The 49ers have had only two players, Richie James Jr. and Jeff Wilson Jr., go on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list, and both came off it Aug. 4. Players are tested daily and follow social-distancing measures in meetings and weight room.
“The protocols have been going great,” Bosa said. “I’ve honestly forgot that it’s going on at some points because everything is going so smoothly in here.
“It’s been good to get my mind off of what’s going on and just focus on football. The protocols are going really well. Obviously we haven’t had two many cases and just hoping we can continue to be smart throughout the whole year.”
Bosa has been a picture of good health at training camp, and he is summoning his strength for a daily matchup with new left tackle Trent Williams.
