EDMONTON -- Sherwood Park running back Chuba Hubbard met with Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy shortly after Hubbard tweeted he "will not be doing anything" with the football team when a picture of Gundy wearing a t-shirt from a far-right news channel surfaced on social media.

Gundy was shown wearing One America News Network T-shirt during a fishing trip in a social media post. 

Hubbard, U.S. college football's leading rusher last season, tweeted the image was "completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it's unacceptable."

"I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things change." 

Teammate Amen Ogbongbemiga, a linebacker from Calgary, also showed his support for Hubbard's stand, tweeting "I stand with him."

"I met with some players and I realize it's a very sensitive issue with what's going on in today's society, Gundy said in a video posted by Hubbard. "I'm looking forward to making some changes and it starts at the top with me."

After Gundy spoke, Hubbard apologized for tweeting about the issue instead of going directly to the head coach, and the two shook hands.

"From now on we're gonna focus on bringing change and that's the most important thing," the running back said.

FAR-RIGHT NEWS NETWORK

OAN has been often praised by United States President Donald Trump, most recently for a report claiming 75-year-old protester, Martin Gugino, was pushed to the ground by police in Buffalo, with Trump tweeting he was   "appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment."

Trump's tweet was criticized as an unfounded conspiracy theory by both Republicans and Democrats.

"It's a serious accusation, which should only be made with facts and evidence. And I haven't seen any yet," said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. 

Asked by reporters if the president should not be making it, Thune said: "Well, I think that's a given."

Trump is scheduled to have a rally in Tulsa on Saturday, about an hour's drive east of Oklahoma State's Stillwater campus.

COACH CHALLENGES COVID

Coach Gundy, a former Cowboys quarterback, has previously been criticized for being insensitive in comments about the nation’s response to the pandemic. 

He referenced the financial impact of football while suggesting players should return to campus as early as May 1.

“They’re in good shape, they’re all 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 years old, they’re healthy,” Gundy said April 7. “A lot of them can fight it off with their natural body, the antibodies and build that they have. There’s some people that are asymptomatic."

“If that’s true, then yeah, we sequester them. And people say, ‘That’s crazy.’ No, it’s not crazy, because we need to continue to budget and run money through the state of Oklahoma.”

Gundy apologized four days later, saying he understood his comments offended some people and that his first priority is the well-being of student-athletes.

The Big 12 conference is allowing schools to bring football players to campus for voluntary workouts beginning June 15.

Oklahoma State has announced a phased approach for the return of its players.

PRO PROSPECTS

Hubbard, 21, was eligible for the National Football League draft last April, but elected to return to Oklahoma State for a third season. 

He racked up 2,094 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns last season and was among the contenders for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the sport's most outstanding player. 

He finished eighth in the voting, but became the first Albertan and fourth ever Canadian (and first since 1995) to receive votes for the prestigious award.

With files from the Associated Press