Official's Accidental Slide Fractures Leg of East Carolina Football Player

During a recent college football matchup between the East Carolina Pirates and the Temple Owls, an official inadvertently caused a severe injury to one of the players. The unusual event took place during the first half at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium while the game was paused between plays.

David Coleman Jr., a defensive back for the East Carolina Pirates, was positioned on the turf alongside his teammates near the 40-yard line. As an official hurried toward a nearby situation from behind the group, he lost his footing and slid directly into Coleman Jr. The impact caused the defender to tumble forward onto the ground.

Following the collision, Coleman Jr. remained on the turf. He was eventually assisted off the playing surface by two teammates who carried him away to prevent him from bearing weight on the affected limb.

At the half-time break, an X-ray confirmed the severity of the damage. East Carolina coach Blake Harrell addressed the situation after the game, stating that the imaging revealed a fractured fibula. Harrell expressed sympathy for the player, noting the freak nature of the occurrence and mentioning that he had never witnessed an official injure a player in such a manner before the incident.

Despite the strange disruption, the East Carolina Pirates secured a 17-9 victory. Prior to his departure from the contest, Coleman Jr. managed to register a single tackle.

Sources: BBC News

Aggregated summary. Original: BBC News