CANOGA PARK — It has been months since college football players like Lee Pitts, a cornerback for Azusa Pacific University’s football team, has been able to get back on the field due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

“I haven’t seen a lot of the guys on my team since March and that’s just not usual. Usually we’re in the weight room training or on the field. So yeah, that’s definitely one of the things I miss the most,” Pitts says.

A video clip of one of Pitts’ past games showed him making two interceptions - a proud moment for a college football player that’s hoping to get back on the field soon.

“I want to play football. That’s what I want to do. But I also understand that if circumstances aren’t safe for me to do so in a way that is safe for both me, my coaches, and anyone else in the administration or at the school. Then you have to take it for what it is,” Pitts says.

Football is a game that runs in Pitts’ family. In the past, his father, Ron Pitts played professionally in the NFL and in the PAC-12 for UCLA - where Pitts’ brother Shea Pitts plays currently.

As a parent, Ron Pitts said it’s been difficult to watch the pandemic unfold on college football teams from the sidelines.

“It’s hard to see them go through the training for as long as they have and then not be able to play. But being smart about it because safety is more important than anything else."

Lee feels the same way.

“Going into my last year of eligibility, it’s something I definitely want to do. But like I’m going to continue reiterating, as long as I can do so in a way that is safe for me and everyone around me,” Pitts says.

There’s no clear sign yet of when this pandemic will be over, or what changes college football players like Pitts will be facing. But he’s determined to get back on the field one day, running his next play when he feels it’s safe to do so.