During an unprecedented season played amidst a global pandemic, Ken Niumatalolo has found himself serving as psychologist as much as coach.
It started in July when the Navy football players returned to Annapolis in advance of preseason practice. Arriving from all over the country, they were required to spend two weeks in quarantine to ensure they did not bring coronavirus back to the academy.
That restriction of movement order prevented the normal interaction among teammates and tested the mental health and well-being of players.
Now, Navy football has been forced to confront the issue a second time because of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus.