Fellow 11warriors, it is with a heavy heart that I relay to you a personal experience from yesterday.
I play for the Northwest Ohio Knights, a GLFL semi-pro team out of Toledo. Yesterday we played a benefit game with the proceeds going to ALS research (our head coach is a victim of ALS).
Close to half time our special teams unit was fielding a punt when an opposing player was hit hard on a legal crack-back. It stopped his heart. We had two nurses, two EMTs and a fully equipped ambulance at the ready. They did chest compressions, defibs, hooked him up to every machine they had seemingly, but it wasn't enough. At thirty-two years old, David Coleman of the Jay County Panthers passed away. He was the father of four daughters, a friend to everyone that knew him, and an all-around good guy.
I wanted to share this with you because he was also a Buckeye fan and loved the game of football.
RIP #58.
Edit: Link to news story.
Comments
I am so very sorry Roger. We expect the possibilty of traumatic injuries in pro football, but not this. Prayers for his family and friends, for the guy on special teams who tackled him, and for the medical personnel did everything they could for him.
Holy crap. So very sorry.
Hard to figure how such things happen to good people. Prayers go out to the families and all involved. Peace be with them.
This makes my heart hurt so bad to think about the little girls growing up without their father. God Bless the family.
Yeah, I have three daughters, and that thought made my heart sink even more.
RIP, David.
That is terrible. Very tragic.
vacuuming sucks
This gave me chills. I just made a comment last week about how much I hate crackback blocks, especially in special teams play. I contend they're more dangerous than most helmet-to-helmet hits. I know they're legal hits, but something must be done. I'm not sure I have the answer.
This is so tragic. My heart goes out to his family.
I played semi-pro in 04, 05, and 08, and this does not surprise me one bit. At the end of the day, its pretty much Rec-League. Players pay a player fee, purchase their own equipment, crive themselves to away games, etc. In my opinion, the problems arise for a couple of reasons. When players have to buy their own equipment, saftey is overlooked for savings. I am lucky enough to have a job that pays well enough that I could buy a new helmet in the color that was needed, alot of guys would buy a used one, then spray paint it in their garage, and things like that have disaster written all over them. The other is the with the mindset of too many of the players. As I said earlier, there is no pay involved, so at the end of the game, Guys have to get up and go to work on Monday. The problem is that you get the guys who think they are going to the next level so they are out there going for the biggest hits they can. The last game I played I was hit helmet to helmet a full 3 seconds after the whistle blew and ended up with a concussion, at that very instant I knew I was done. The risks so far outweigh the rewards.
Sorry for the rambling nature of this reply.
Very sorry to hear about this. My prayers to the family & children.
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
Am I the only one that is a little upset at a crack-back block in a charity game? There's no place for that in the NFL, let alone in an exhibition to benefit ALS.
A very sad story, I couldn't imagine being there to witness that.
Edit: I see someone above me shares my thoughts on the crackback. I agree, but note that it's especially dangerous and uncalled for in a charity game amongst semi-pros
Yes... I hate the crackback. To me, it's a p*ssy's way to get a "big hit" and look macho. But physics suggests that my 105 pound wife could knock over a a 220 pound guy if she were running full speed at him while he was facing a different direction and not expecting it, so there's nothing really special about it. It's not as if it's a display of power. Beanie Wells throwing an LSU corner three feet backwards is a display of power and brute strentgh. A crackback block is not.
I played some semipro, and I had many an opportunity to throw a crack back. I refused. These guys have day jobs like me. No reason to want to put them out of commission. I would lead with my hands instead of my body and just try to throw the guy backward (like, you know, an actual block) instead of trying to hurt him. Leagues need to start distinguishing what is a "block" and what is "malicious" when it comes to crackbacks. I frickin hate them. There's nothing impressive about them from a physics standpoint. Whatching Tebow power through d-lines and linebackers is a much more impressive football play to me.
I was watcing the game on BCSN, as my best friend plays for the knights, and he has been trying to get me to come out and play. They showed the hit, which really wasnt dirty IMHO, and went to commercial and never came back. My dude called me and told me. This is crazy.
I heard about this. Very sad and so sorry, God Bless the family.
Very tragic. May God bless and give his wife and girls strength to cope in this devastating time.