ESPN is reporting that Eric LeGrand is paralyzed from the neck down after a hit he delivered during a kickoff coverage in a game this past weekend. In the video included on the site, you can clearly see that he hit the ball carrier with his head in a lowered position making contact with the crown of his helmet. This is spearing. This is why the rule was written more than 30 years ago. This needed to be flagged and penalized.
I understand that the most important part of this situation is the young man and his health. I wish him nothing but the best for a full and speedy recovery.
However, the one thing missing on the video is the flag. Being an ATC and a high school football official, this incompetence by the officials gives me cause for great concern. The problem is one of the perception by the spectators that this is a legal hit and should never be penalized. This creates the ignorance that leads to the comments that were so disturbing to me in the youth video I referenced in a previous post.
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