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Everything is bigger in Texas, including high school football. Friday nights across the state are lit up with the lights at mega-stadiums in every town.
And, that means that coaches in these towns are some of the most powerful people in the community. At bigger schools, they can be one of the most highly-paid employees of the school district, because winning is what matters.
Just recently, the University Scholastic League, the governing body for interscholastic sports, hosted the annual football state championships at AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys. And, attendance was better than some bowl games.
Only in Texas …
Attendance for 2022 UIL state championships trumps college bowl games https://t.co/wz4RnTqCE7
— Reuben Davis (@RD28327) December 20, 2022
So it’s easy to say that football is life. At many schools, there are athletic periods built into the school day so that coaches can meet with their players daily. And, conditioning is year-round.
But, one coach took things way too far.
A Texas high school football coach put players in the hospital after a ridiculous workout
This week, reports came out that the coach of a suburban Dallas high school, Rockwall-Heath, was under fire for a workout that put over a half-dozen players in the hospital.
JUST IN: Rockwall-Heath’s varsity football coach, John Harrell, is now on administrative leave pending a third-party investigation after several students needed medical attention/hospitalization after an offseason workout last Friday.
This letter 👇🏻 was sent to parents today. pic.twitter.com/nL28qdGOZn
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) January 10, 2023
Here are some more details, courtesy of the New York Post.
Several Texas high school football students were hospitalized after they were forced to perform up to 400 push-ups in an hour as punishment by their coach, according to local reports.
Rockwall-Heath High School Head Football Coach John Harrell is now on leave while a third party conducts an investigation, the school said in a letter to parents, according to Dallas’ Fox station.
The alleged incident happened Friday during an eighth-period athletic class at the elite public school just outside Dallas.
One mother claims her son was forced to do 300 to 400 push-ups with no water breaks, according to the Dallas Morning News, but she did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation.
Her son was hospitalized and diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney damage or failure, the paper reported.
At least eight students were hospitalized after the extreme workout, according to the paper.
Yikes. This will be an interesting story to keep an eye on.