Former NFL quarterback turned high school football coach Trent Dilfer’s has a viral video in circulation. After an altercation with one of his football players, people have made claims of “shoving,” “going wild” and “screaming.” Although the screaming is in fact true, critics have applied pressure to the point Dilfer had to issue a public apology via social media.
As a former high school football player of all 4 years of my high school experience, I would like to make it clear that this incident is not “terrible” especially in the context of football. Football is a demanding sport requiring cooperation, planning, strategy, teamwork, and even aggression at times. It is a game, also a lifestyle, that capitalizes upon character building, mental toughness, and composure in high-pressure situations. When one of your “most bright and promising” throws a seemingly selfish tantrum to the point of quitting mid-game it is in fact a high-intensity moment. These are moments that challenge the character of an individual's makeup.
I make this long-winded statement to one acknowledge that Dilfer may have embarrassed both himself and his player Dawson in the process, however, for those of you who haven’t experienced playing high school football, this is truly not an incident that was not called for.
P.S Although “Screaming” during this incident was completely factual, “Shoving” is a bit of a stretch.
To check out the GaS crew cover this story see below and let us know what side you stand on: