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Referee accidentally fractures college football player's leg

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The unusual injury took place as David Coleman Jr. stood on the field with his teammates near the 40-yard line between downs. An approaching referee slipped on the turf and knocked the defensive back down from behind, leaving him unable to bear any weight on his leg. Halftime medical evaluations revealed a fractured fibula, forcing two team members to carry him off the field. Despite losing Coleman, East Carolina managed to secure a 17-9 victory over Temple.

Key points

  • The defensive back had recorded one tackle in the first half before the accident forced h…: The defensive back had recorded one tackle in the first half before the accident forced him out.
  • East Carolina head coach Blake Harrell stated he had never seen an official cause a playe…: East Carolina head coach Blake Harrell stated he had never seen an official cause a player injury before.
  • East Carolina overcame the bizarre sideline accident to secure a 17-9 win over the Temple…: East Carolina overcame the bizarre sideline accident to secure a 17-9 win over the Temple Owls.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

A referee accidentally fractured a college football player's leg during a bizarre incident in the first half of East Carolina Pirates' win against Temple Owls.

East Carolina defensive back David Coleman Jr was standing on the field with team-mates in between plays, when an official ran in to address something near the 40-yard line.

As the official approached the players from behind, he slipped and slid into Coleman Jr, who fell forward to the ground.

Coleman Jr stayed on the turf, before eventually being helped from the field by two team members, who carried him so he did not have to put weight on his injured leg.

East Carolina coach Blake Harrell later confirmed Coleman Jr had an X-ray at half-time which showed he fractured his fibula during the incident.

"Our thoughts and our prayers are with him. But that's just one of those things. Kind of wild it happens, I'd never seen that from an official," said Blake.

East Carolina won the game 17-9, with Coleman Jr recording one tackle during the match before he left the…

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