Michigan coach Brady Hoke was already under fire for his team’s terrible play this season, but his handling of a concussed player during Saturday’s loss against Minnesota has sent fans over the edge.
During the fourth quarter of the 30-14 blowout, quarterback Shane Morris, who was already hobbled, took a hit to the helmet and emerged incredibly wobbly. He was so unstable that his teammates came over to usher him off the field. Morris waved them off, played one more down and eventually came out of the game.
However, a few plays later, the helmet of new quarterback Devin Gardner came off and he was forced to leave the field. So what do Hoke and his staff do? They have Morris, who is clearly struggling, re-enter the game and take the snap. Morris hands the ball off and then exits the game again limping and struggling.
If Brady Hoke isn't fired, he should be suspended for this quote. http://t.co/lXsOQh78pO http://ift.tt/YuT8Oc
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyedNESN) September 28, 2014
Hoke said that if Shane didn't want to stay in the game, he would've said so. In a case where he is clearly injured, that's coach's call.
— Joshua Henschke (@JoshuaHenschke) September 28, 2014
Having Morris stay in after the hit was one thing, but having him re-enter the game when he was clearly injured is endangering the welfare of a player in a game that Michigan was clearly not going to win.
It was reckless and careless and concerning. Anyone could have taken that snap. It didn’t matter. It had no bearing on the result of the game. But if the ball had been fumbled and Morris had taken another hit, the result could have been catastrophic.
These players trust their coaches to make the right decisions for them and in this instance the game was more important than the welfare of a player and that’s not right.
For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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