FSU OL Andrew Boselli recovers after testing positive for coronavirus
Florida State offensive lineman Andrew Boselli, who is expected to compete for the starting center position this fall, announced Friday morning that he contracted the coronavirus last month and has fully recovered.
Boselli, a 6-foot-5, 321-pound senior, said he was tested for the virus on March 21 while back home in Jacksonville and received a positive result a few days later.
His father, former Jacksonville Jaguars great Tony Boselli, was actually hospitalized while dealing with the infection. Other family members were infected as well.
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The younger Boselli wrote about the ordeal in a first-person account on the school's official website.
"Since St. Patrick’s Day, when my dad first started to feel ill, the coronavirus has swept through my family – first to my dad, then to my mom, and then to my brother and to me," Andrew Boselli explained. "A day after my test – an unpleasant process in and of itself – I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a bus.
"I’m thankful to say that my family and I have recovered from our fight with the coronavirus, but I also want everyone to know just how hard it was. I spent days feeling miserable. And my dad, a strong, healthy 47-year-old man with no underlying health conditions, spent three days in the intensive care unit. I promise, even if you’re young and healthy, you do not want this virus."
Boselli said he lost "about 6 to 7 pounds" during the illness and felt that he was back to 100 percent now. He's been working out and running since being cleared.
He said he hoped his diagnosis would be a wake-up call for people his age who might not think they're at risk.
Boselli is believed to be the university's only student-athlete to contract the coronavirus. FSU athletics director David Coburn confirmed to Warchant two weeks ago that an unnamed student had tested positive while home with his family.
In his article, Boselli said he experienced the worst conditions for about three days.
"I was glued to the couch with no energy, no appetite and nothing but fluids and over-the-counter medicines to help me feel better," he said. "The hardest part was feeling slightly short of breath. That’s a bad feeling anyway, and knowing that shortness of breath is often a symptom of severe cases made it that much worse."
During a Zoom conference call with media members on Friday afternoon, Boselli credited Florida State athletic trainer Jake Pfeil for helping him get through the worst days. He said Pfeil was on call basically 24 hours a day for him and gave him advice for any questions or concerns he had.
"It was great to have a resource like that," Boselli said.
He also said he has three sisters who didn't test positive for the disease. He said his father got tested on a Tuesday because he was showing signs of the virus. Boselli said he started showing symptoms that Saturday. And that the first night - when his fever spiked - was probably the worst.
The day before he had worked out and said he felt like himself. Boselli said the next morning he work up and felt like a completely different person.
The lineman also encouraged friends and FSU fans to be vigilant about taking precautions.
"Yes, social distancing is hard. Summer is coming, and we all want to be together, enjoying each other’s company," Boselli wrote. "And, for me, I know I’m counting down the days until I can be around my coaches and teammates again, especially after the way they supported me over the last few weeks. But the only way for that to happen is listen to the experts and follow their guidance."
Boselli is scheduled to speak with the local media later this afternoon. Stay connected with more coverage from Warchant.com.
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