Sports

Jason Witten’s Wife Rejects Ruling To Banish High School Football Powerhouse From Texas Playoffs

#Texas
by Last Updated

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Jason and Michelle Witten pose for a photo at an NFL event.


The Argyle Liberty Christian’s football team was barred from the postseason just days before their Texas playoff opener. The mom of a current player and wife of a prominent former coach has spoken out.

Michelle Witten rejected the ruling that disqualified her son’s team. She denies any wrongdoing by the school or coaching staff.

Will it lead to a reversal in the high school football playoff ruling? Time will tell. Liberty Christian is currently fighting the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

What happened to Argyle Liberty Christian?

The Warriors earned a No. 1 seed in the TAPPS Division I playoffs after going 8-2 during the regular season. That record was headlined by a spotless 6-0 mark in district play.

Liberty Christian’s losses came by a combined four points. They were competitive in every game they played. They were widely considered the frontrunner to win the D1 title.

A championship would be the Warriors’ third in four years after back-to-back triumphs in 2023 and 2024. Those titles were won with former NFL tight end Jason Witten as head coach.

Witten left his post to accept an assistant coaching role at the University of Oklahoma. His replacement, Josh Martin, now finds himself in hot water.

Liberty Christian was notified of a disqualification from the Texas high school football playoffs this week. They were scheduled to open postseason play this weekend.

The TAPPS ruling centered around the eligibility of a Warriors roster member. It is believed the coaching staff hid a prior relationship with the player, who transferred into the program during the offseason.

TAPPS bylaws say that students who transfer to another member school are not eligible for varsity competition in a sport for a year if a coach for that certain sport at their new school either coached or trained that athlete in the previous year. That includes AAU, select, club, 6-on-6, 7-on-7, individual or group instruction, skills training, fitness training, or personal training.

The player in question played for a 7-on-7 team affiliated with Liberty Christian assistant Antonio Griffin. If coached or trained by Griffin, the player is required to sit out for one full season. He did not. Hence, the playoff ban.

Those close to the program, however, refute some of the details being circulated. They say evidence is suspect. Griffin never actually coached the transfer athlete.

Jason Witten’s wife blasts TAPPS.

Witten’s son, Cooper, is a five-star prospect in the 2027 class. Her other son, CJ, was a three-star player that signed with Rice in 2025. Both were previously coached by their father, Jason. The family has been linked to the school for the last 15 years. They’ve had an inside look at the program over the last few seasons.

Michelle Witten’s response to the situation holds weight. She knows both the ineligible player and the coach on staff who are involved in the situation. Witten says the facts have been twisted.

Griffin owns the 7-on-7 team. That is not being disputed. She alleges that he did not coach the ineligible player on the field. There is a difference.

Quan Jones is the head coach. He reiterated Witten’s point.

This specific violation is referred to as the “Follow the Coach rule.” Witten says there was no coach to follow. Griffin gives no on-field direction.

As evidence, she posted a series of email in which wording was intentionally modified. An original document contained a header that read as the 7-on-7 team being “Owned by Coach Griffin – operated by a staff of former college/pro athletes and coaches.”

The follow-up message read, “Owned and Coached by Coach Griffin – operated by a staff of former college/pro athletes and coaches.”

The ‘and coached’ was added to stress a false point according to Michelle Witten.

Those at Argyle Liberty Christian insist that Antonio Griffin never coached the player. He should be eligible to play. No rules were broken.

As it stands, the team remains out of the Texas high school football playoffs. We’ll see if the backlash impacts the Warriors’ postseason status in the coming days.