Brevin Randle, a linebacker for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, was seen on camera stomping the back of an opponent as he lay on the ground. The opponent, a member of the University of Texas El Paso football team, stayed in the game and received no apparent injuries on the play.
Fans of the UTEP Miners were infuriated at the play and were made even more incensed after it became clear that no penalty flag was thrown after the stomp. While some fans thought that the no-penalty might be a sign of collusion between the referees and the Louisiana Tech team, UTEP coach Dana Dimel had a more plausible idea.
Dimel said, “The referee, who I really admire, came over at halftime and very gentlemanly said that he missed it. That’s part of the game. (The official) was a class act, I really appreciated that.”
In all likelihood, this play is one that will land Brevin Randle in deep trouble with his team. His play has become national news and has embarrassed the program, which is not something that any football coach is going to take lightly. He will have a long path ahead of himself if he is ever to play an important role for this team again.
On theme with that, Louisiana Tech’s Athletic Director released this statement, “Coach Cumbie and I met with Brevin Randle today and informed him that he has been suspended indefinitely as a result of the incident during last night’s game versus UTEP. In speaking with Brevin, he acknowledges that his action was wrong and understands the consequence of that action. Our University, athletic department, and football program believe in culture, class, and competitive excellence and in no way was that displayed in that moment.”
Having the university athletic director come down to hand a player a suspension is not unheard of, but it signals a seriousness from the school about the severity of the infractions. While Randle and the team were not punished on the field, he now must face the music that came from his actions.
Dirty plays like this are a sad reality in football, even at the highest level. While they can stain a reputation to a certain degree, they often do not spell disaster for a career or dampen a player’s ability to make it at the NFL level.
The most famous and apparent case is lineman Ndamukong Suh who made a great impact on many teams throughout his career despite having the reputation of being a dirty player. He may have been a bit too willing to hit players below the belt and slam quarterbacks heads into the turf, but his infield ability was enough to help him stay around.
Now, if Randle is truly willing to stop this dirty play and work hard, he may be next in line as a former dirty player who renews his reputation and continues to be a great football player.
Yeah, I’d qualify this as “dirty.” pic.twitter.com/8gDqGEoTfG
— Cody Nagel (@CodyNagel247) September 30, 2023
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