OT: Disgraceful hit by an Arkansas player
I didn't catch his name, but a special teams player for Arkansas had a completely disgraceful hit on special teams today. The Vanderbilt returner had signaled for a fair catch, and the ball was no where near him, and the Arkansas player just destroyed him while he was signaling for a fair catch. I can understand emotions getting the best of a player, but to continue to taunt a player you injured after your illegal hit, is classless. I despise Petrino already, and this just continues to show the lack of team discipline his players have shown in the past. This was probably the most disgraceful, and illegal hit I have ever witnessed in college football.
Edit: The players name is Marquel Wade
October 29th, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^
Dude was kicked out of the game, and while the returner was down for a few minutes, he walked off the field on his own.
Still, wtf was he thinking?
October 29th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^
that he was or is capable of much "thinking" being the key assumption
October 29th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
His name is Marquel Wade, and he needs to be suspended. Fortunately, the officials handled the situation well by penalizing and ejecting him.
Edit: Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_M3pXA2V3I
October 29th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
I believe the Vandy player returned at the end of the game. I'm not sure though.
October 29th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
Had no idea that it would be posted to youtube so quickly.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^
I'm sure I would have caught it on ESPN but it's nice to have a fellow MgoBlogger post it.
Terrible hit and the guy deserved to get ejected. Nice to see the other player get up and walk off the field.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^
His attitude afterwards was the worst part.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
Your description reminds me of a similar play by Troy Polamalu at USC.
Edit: just watched it and the real disgrace was his behavior after the play and on the sidelines. He should be done for the year, let his parole officer deal with him.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
look up "dirty player" and you see Polamalu deck a punt returner ... And I believe Musberger was the announcer who may have said something about the 'great hit'...
You always find Musberger praising dirty/black hat types... Dantonio/Tressel/Polamalu.
October 29th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
Musberger is near the top of my list of worst announsers. I remember when he used to get jacked up on Martin Gramatica's field goal celebration.
October 29th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
On sec network,.... like the topic header reads... A total disgrace. Punk nothing more. The guy from Vandy came back into the game though. He was fine afterwards.
October 29th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
just watched on youtube....uncalled for--but if you rewatch--how clear does fair catch signal normally have to be? Seems like this one was a little less apparent than normal.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^
I think to all the refs and to most of the other players it was clear he signaled for a fair catch. But, the reason it may not have been as clear, is that he was also trying to keep the sun out of his eyes.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:10 PM ^
Regardless of the signal, you still can't hit a punt returner before the ball arrives. I honestly can't even fathom what that Arkansas player was thinking. One of the most disgusting plays I've seen in college football. And, as state above, his attitude afterwards was even worse.
October 29th, 2011 at 5:48 PM ^
good point. didn't actually see how long after the fact the ball came down...
October 29th, 2011 at 6:57 PM ^
I believe you can hit any returner before the ball arrives unless they call fair catch (which I know he did). By no means is this a defense for the Arkansas player, just trying to clarify.
October 29th, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
Agreed. On the youtube video it is hard to tell if he is signaling for a fair catch or shielding his eyes from the sun.
October 29th, 2011 at 5:46 PM ^
Obviously the safety of the players is paramount but I agree that the signal was not very clear. It looked to me like he was shielding his eyes. That does not excuse the Arkansas player's behavior after the hit but I don't think it was an intentional dirty play. I think the more troubling issue is the helmet to helmet contact which is clearly an issue in all of football. Everyone wants to make a play but you gotta be smart about it. Should've hit and wrapped rather than trying to making the spectaclar hit.
perhaps he signaled earlier than whats showed in the replay above?
October 29th, 2011 at 5:47 PM ^
I know what you mean, about the fair catch signal but he still hit the dude well before the ball got there.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:35 PM ^
The fair catch signal was not clear at all! This howver doesn't excuse the illegal hit. A personal foul was correctly given to the young man. This play in my opinion was not intentionally dirty, and didn't warrant an ejection. Nothing is being said about the Arkansas player that followed the hitter, he didnt' make contact, but his intentions were the same. This ejection was wrong because the refs didn't follow the rules for ejection to a tee, they followed emotions because the player got hurt. This play has happened over and over again, and as long as the returner got up, it was just a penalty. The Arkansas player had every right to be upset! For those that have never played football at a high level, it's hard to understand the amount of emotion that goes into it. Mr. Wade's actions on the sideline were overboard, but for this board to assume that this kid has a parole or probation officer because he was emotional and didn't want to be kicked out or consoled is wrong. (to put it lightly)
October 29th, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^
" I despise Petrino already, and this just continues to show the lack of team discipline his players have shown in the past."
John L. Smith is the special teams coach, douchebag.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
These types of plays/players always seem to follow Petrino around, it's not a coincidence. Also, the same recruiting coordinator Petrino had at Louisville is now with him at Arkansas.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
Asshole, asshole, asshole ...... chant it loud
October 29th, 2011 at 4:14 PM ^
What's your deal man? Its Petrino's kid.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:21 PM ^
This is my first post so please be nice. Speaking of disgraceful... I didn't know where else to post this so I figured another OT post would be ok. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7163847/brian-kelly-notr…
October 29th, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
Kelly has been such an embarrassment for their program.... wonder how long he'll last.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
Petrino has more criminals on his team than most of the Top 25. There was a big SI article about the SEC teams and Penn State leading the way. He is a dirty old mutha fucka! I lived in Maumelle, Arkansas and it is known that shady shit is happening in Fayetville. He oversigns, allows drug test fails, and god knows what else. Give it time and it will come out. I really like the Hogs and hope they clean house.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:30 PM ^
I've heard of high school coaches who tell their players to do this the first time a returner signals for a fair catch, in the hopes that the returner will drop the next one. It's disgusting, and not an isolated incident.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:31 PM ^
Wasnt the worse. They worse was Troy P. hitting the guy from Kansas State.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^
Troy P gets lit up continually by strong QBs... he's out of position and gets notoriety for his Jimmy Super Fly Snooka-esque tackles, which happen, oh once or perhaps twice *a season*... Totally overrated. And "head and shoulders" is a shit shampoo.
He's just as dirty as Hines Ward.... Ward, Polamalu, Harrison, Rothlisberger... a locker room of gentleman they have there in Pittsburgh.
October 29th, 2011 at 4:44 PM ^
Unfortunately Kalista Balko, U of Arizona's catcher in 2008, got tagged with a "dirty play" for putting the tag on an Alabama softball girl.. Sorry, gotta give the U of A softball team a little love, Jennie Finch's old teammates give "getting dirty" a new meaning...
October 29th, 2011 at 5:15 PM ^
If I were an Arkansas fan I'd be ashamed.
Now what's this about a disgraceful hit?
October 29th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^
I saw a few bad ones today that should have been ejections. There was the OU linemen who went out of his way to stomp the K-State QB's chest while he was laying on the ground, and the PSU linebacker who put his heel right into the linemens knee after the play.
October 29th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
Who threw the punch today for MSU? Anyone have a GIF? Any reaction from Dantonio, yet?
October 29th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
There was a second guy right behind Wade that was trying to do the same thing. This isn't a player doing something stupid, this is something they were coached to do.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:46 PM ^
It was an outlandish personal foul. I have no problem with the officials' call.
What was so weird to me is that the foul (and ejection) were called on #1; but if not for the fact that he leveled the punt returner, his teammate #25 arrived a split second later, and would have killed the returner just as outlandishly. Really strange.
Was that John L. who was collaring #1 off the field after the ejection? Looked like him...
October 29th, 2011 at 9:32 PM ^
That seems more coaching than an "accident," same as I don't believe that MSU players happened to throw Denard to the floor after the play in a fit of passion, no I call bullshit! Of course, nothing will happen to these saintly coaches.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
We had a player do that in Canadian University football. He was kicked out of the game, then suspended for the rest of his eligibility.