Kris Durham only planned to be in Italy for a few weeks to help out the sport he loves.
However, the coronavirus outbreak that is ravaging that country has left the former University of Georgia and NFL wide receiver in quarantine. While he has no symptoms and has not been diagnosed with COVID-19, he's stuck in the ghost town that was Parma, with streets becoming emptier by the day.
About 4,500 miles away, his parents wait in Whitfield County in northwest Georgia for the day he’s cleared to fly back to the United States.
“I understand why Italy shut the border. I get it,” his father, Mike Durham, told AJC.com in a phone interview. “But I’m thinking my son is over there, and I wish he was here.”
Kris Durham, a Calhoun High School graduate who played for three teams in four NFL seasons, most recently played for the Parma Panthers in Italy's premier American-style football league. He was visiting the country for a few weeks to help the team with coaching this season.
His girlfriend of nearly three years is also there, working in Milan — known as Italy’s financial hub and as one of the epicenters of COVID-19. The first confirmed case in Georgia came from a recent traveler to Milan.
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Parma is about 80 miles from Milan, but the coronavirus fears are omnipresent across the country. Italy recently ceased all travel that wasn’t essential and is advising its citizens — and guests — to stay indoors as much as possible.
“When he leaves the apartment, he just stays away from people,” Mike Durham said. “He doesn’t go anywhere that he doesn’t have to.”
Outside of close friends and family, few people knew he was stuck in Europe, but a video of near-empty Italian streets let UGA fans and the news media know his situation. Former NFL punter-turned-broadcaster Pat McAfee then posted the chilling video, which has nearly a million views. The only people seen walking are masked city workers.
Mike Durham said there’s something slightly ironic about the video: his son didn’t film it.
He said Kris was sent the video by a friend, who is also quarantined in Italy, and he was just sharing the odd sight.
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“Anyone who has been to Italy, you know that everyone is out there walking ... the streets are always full,” Mike said. “When he shared the video, it shows that nobody is out, which is unusual in a pretty place like that.”
The media coverage stemming from the video has led Mike and his wife to be bombarded by worried friends and extended family asking about Kris. Mike wanted to emphasize that his son is OK and is not sick.
“He says he’s fine and everything is going well,” Mike said. “But as a parent, you’re still going to worry about him. As long as I’m alive, I’m going to worry about him.”
Kris Durham, who racked up 1,109 yards receiving and four touchdowns at UGA, has been declining media interviews since the news of his location broke. But he did send the Detroit Free Press, which covered him during his two seasons with the Detroit Lions, an emailed statement about his status.
“The quarantine was a needed measure implemented by the Italian government for the entire country. I am just following the safety protocols they have set out to avoid the spread of the virus. I truly believe the government here has been doing a great job. The healthcare professionals in Italy are doing a phenomenal job, especially considering they have been working around the clock because healthcare in this country is free and everyone is able to receive the same testing and options.”
Credit: AJC File
Credit: AJC File
At first, Mike thought his son would be able to return home March 23, but that date has been pushed back to April 3 at the soonest, he said. Even though he’s worried, he trusts Kris is doing all he can.
Aside from the prevalence of cases, Mike said the only additional risk he thinks his son is enduring in Italy is grocery shopping.
“One of the biggest differences between there and here is we go to the grocery store and we’re gonna buy groceries for a week or two ... but a lot of them don’t stockpile like we do,” he said. “So I can see Kris having to go to the supermarket every few days to have to get food.”
Aside from food stores and pharmacies, all shops have been ordered to close in Italy.
He also sees how the coronavirus is spreading through the U.S., with new cases being confirmed each day. That is helping him keep some perspective.
“Kris told me, ‘You can catch it there in the United States, too, dad,’” Mike said. “All it takes is wrong place, wrong time.”
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