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A Dallas high school football referee ripped off a player's helmet during a game
Juliana Kim
The Texas high school athletic association is investigating an incident between a referee and student athlete during a football game Friday night.
Whitney High School was competing against James Madison High School at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas when a Whitney football player, Trey Haynes, collided with the referee. The sports official aggressively pushed back and tore off Haynes' helmet, according to a video shared by Haynes' mother. Haynes is also the son of the Whitney football coach David Haynes.
"How is this allowed from a ref!" Haynes' mother, Karla Haynes, wrote on X . "You literally assaulted him!"
The University Interscholastic League said on Saturday it is aware of the incident. The UIL did not provide any information on the identity of the referee as of Saturday afternoon.
"This situation is of great concern to us and we are actively looking into the matter," the UIL said in a statement.
The Dallas Independent School District said it is also in communication with the UIL and the Texas Association of Sports Officials, who provide referees to high school sports games. TASO did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.
Joey O'Hearn, who coaches the Whitney basketball team, wrote on X that the incident was "unfortunate" but commended Haynes for "keeping his composure and walking away."
Whitney went on to beat Madison 56-28.
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Texas UIL says it's investigating after video shows HS ref ripping helmet off player
The University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school football, said Saturday it is investigating after a video went viral showing a game official ripping the helmet off a player.
The incident occurred Friday in a game between Whitney and Dallas Madison at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas.
A video from an account identified as Karla Haynes, whose bio says she is the wife of Whitney head coach and athletic director David Haynes Jr., shows a Whitney linebacker bumping into the referee twice. The referee responds to the second bump by grabbing the player, whom Haynes says is her son, by the facemask and ripping his helmet off.
The referee throws a flag after the play, at which point Haynes said he ejected her son.
@uiltexas how is this allowed from a ref!!!!!!! And then you eject MY SON and you literally assaulted him!!!!!!! @kwtxsports @kwtx @FoxNews @25NewsKXXV @CoachHaynesJr @WacoTribSports pic.twitter.com/W2vQQikXmp — Karla Haynes (@KarlaAHaynes) September 30, 2023
Another account belonging to Dillon Hightower, identified as Whitney's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, responded with an angle of the play from the opposite side:
Here’s the view from the film… pic.twitter.com/nMpuzc2FC5 — Dillon Hightower (@CoachHightower3) September 30, 2023
The referee involved has not yet been identified.
The morning after the game, at which point the incident had received significant attention on social media, the UIL posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that it was aware of the incident with "great concern" and was "actively looking into the matter."
The UIL is aware of an incident involving a sports official and a student athlete during the Whitney vs. Dallas Madison varsity football game last night (Friday, 9/29). This situation is of great concern to us and we are actively looking into the matter. — Texas UIL (@uiltexas) September 30, 2023
Whitney went on to beat Dallas Madison, 56-28, per MaxPreps .
Troubling Video Shows Texas High School Ref Ripping A Player's Helmet Off
A high school football ref in Texas is in hot water after ripping a player's helmet off.
Video shows a ref absolutely mauling a player and ripping his helmet off after the player bumped into him during a Friday game between Whitney and Dallas Madison, according to Yahoo Sports.
The player was later identified as Trey Haynes, whose dad is the head coach of Whitney. To make matters even crazier, the ref then threw a flag and ejected Haynes, despite the fact the official was 100% in the wrong.
You can watch the absolutely insane situation unfold below.
Below is another angle of the moment shared by Trey's mother.
Texas ref rips player's helmet off.
The Texas University Interscholastic League announced Saturday morning that the situation was being "actively" investigated following the video going viral, and it was reported Monday the ref has been temporarily removed, according to KeraNews.org.
It doesn't look like it took long at all for the governing body to pull him following his insane antics.
You simply can't have a ref on the field who manhandles a student-athlete because he accidentally ran into him coming across the middle.
That's absolutely nuts, but high school football in Texas is a different kind of animal. Anyone who's ever watched " Friday Night Lights " knows that's true, but a ref ripping a player's helmet off is next level crazy.
What could ever drive anyone to do such a thing?
Texas high school football ref goes viral after ripping a player's helmet off. (Credit: Getty Images)
It will be interesting to see if the ref is ever allowed to return. As a betting man, my money would be on no, and for now, he's sidelined. Just an incredibly stupid decision and indefensible actions.
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High School Official Goes Viral for Ripping Helmet off Player After Incidental Bump
- Author: Frankie Taddeo
A video showing an incident between an official and a player during a Texas high school football game surfaced on social media Friday night.
The interaction, which occurred during a matchup between Whitney High and Madison High of Dallas, was filmed by the player’s mother from the stands at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas.
The video shows a Whitney player dropping into pass coverage on defense as Madison’s quarterback scrambles out of the pocket. While attempting to pursue the play on the backside, the defender bumped into the umpire in the middle of the field. After the collision, the official ripped off the player’s helmet and threw a penalty flag on the defender.
Then, the umpire ejected the player, according to his mother’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“@uiltexas how is this allowed from a ref!!!!!!! And then you eject MY SON and you literally assaulted him!!!!!!! @kwtxsports @kwtx @FoxNews @25NewsKXXV @CoachHaynesJr @WacoTribSports,” Karla Haynes posted.
On Saturday, the University Interscholastic League issued a statement that it is looking into the matter.
“The UIL is aware of an incident involving a sports official and a student-athlete during the Whitney vs. Dallas Madison varsity football game last night (Friday, 9/29). This situation is of great concern to us, and we are actively looking into the matter.”
Whitney won the game the 56-28, improving to 5-0 while Madison dropped to 2-4 on the season.
Observers were stunned to see the official’s reaction to what appeared to be an accidental collision.
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VIDEO: Ref grabs high school football player's facemask, causing helmet to come off; UIL 'looking into' it
Ref grabs player's facemask, causing helmet to come off.
The UIL said it is "looking into" an incident between a player and referee at a high school football game in North Texas Friday night in which video shows the referee grab onto the player’s facemask, causing his helmet to come off.
DALLAS - The UIL said it is "looking into" an incident between a player and referee at a high school football game in North Texas Friday night in which video shows the referee grab onto the player’s facemask, causing his helmet to come off.
The player was thrown out of the game after having his helmet taken off by the referee.
This happened at the game between Whitney High School and Dallas ISD’s Madison High School at Seagoville Stadium Henry Field.
Video shows a linebacker dropping back into coverage, before making accidental contact with the ref. The ref then pushes him away to the left, before the player reverses field, following the ball, and makes contact with the referee again.
The ref then grabs the player’s facemask, and both appear to try to get their balance back, and the player’s helmet comes off, with the referee holding onto it after it comes off.
The player has a surprised reaction and the referee throws a flag. That’s when the video shared with FOX 4 ends.
David Haynes Jr. is the father of the player involved and the head football coach for Whitney High School. His son, David Haynes III, goes by Trey. Trey’s mom shot the video of the incident.
"In this incident, he was now tracking the quarterback, and the quarterback went to the other side of the field. And he ran into him and grabbed his helmet and pulled it off," Haynes said. "My son, that was the player in the incident, he said that the official had kind of kept bumping him as far as like he's dropping back in coverage. And he'll kind of get bumped by the official like he was behind them. So I was like, well just kind of adjust and go around him."
After the altercation, Trey was ejected from the game.
"I don't know what he got thrown out for. But when a kid gets thrown out, they got to miss the game next week. And my son's a senior, not all his games are guaranteed," Haynes explained.
The official involved is an umpire. It’s not unusual for an umpire to inadvertently get hit during a game because of his positioning on the field.
Coach Haynes said the altercation upset him, adding that everything was normal up to the point of the altercation.
"When you watch the film, it's just a normal football game, the kids are playing a football game. You know, normal penalties, normal everything, flags here, you know, every once in a while, but it's just a normal football game. So you wouldn't think that that would happen," he said.
The UIL said it is "aware" of this incident, adding that it is "of great concern" to them and they are "actively looking into the matter."
"I want stuff to be served and things to be done right. And my son, my son is, he's a coach's kid. He's a second-generation coach's kid," Haynes said. "I just want to see the UIL handle it because this could be somebody else's baby. Just like he's my baby, this could be somebody else's baby."
Haynes added that he doesn’t want the focus to be taken off of where it’s supposed to be: a successful season.
"I want him to be able to play all his senior year games. We're having a great season," he said. "And like I said, I don't want to take attention off of the season that we're having. We're 5-0 right now and Whitney has not had that in a long time."
Whitney ended up winning the game 56-28.
A Dallas high school football referee ripped off a player's helmet during a game
The Texas high school athletic association is investigating an incident between a referee and student athlete during a football game Friday night.
Whitney High School was competing against James Madison High School at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas when a Whitney football player, Trey Haynes, collided with the referee. The sports official aggressively pushed back and tore off Haynes' helmet, according to a video shared by Haynes' mother. Haynes is also the son of the Whitney football coach David Haynes.
"How is this allowed from a ref!" Haynes' mother, Karla Haynes, wrote on X . "You literally assaulted him!"
The University Interscholastic League said on Saturday it is aware of the incident. The UIL did not provide any information on the identity of the referee as of Saturday afternoon.
"This situation is of great concern to us and we are actively looking into the matter," the UIL said in a statement.
The Dallas Independent School District said it is also in communication with the UIL and the Texas Association of Sports Officials, who provide referees to high school sports games. TASO did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.
Joey O'Hearn, who coaches the Whitney basketball team, wrote on X that the incident was "unfortunate" but commended Haynes for "keeping his composure and walking away."
Whitney went on to beat Madison 56-28.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Texas High School Football Referee Suspended for Ripping off Player's Helmet
The incident happened to a player from Whitney High School.
By Brian Jones - October 4, 2023 02:23 pm EDT
A high school football official from Texas has been suspended pending an investigation after a video showed him ripping off the helmet of a player during a live play. The incident happened on Friday night, and the player, Trey Haynes from Whitney High School, was ejected by the official after ripping his helmet off. According to Sports Illustrated , the ejection was reversed by the University Interscholastic League (UIL).
The player's father, Whitney head football coach and athletic director David Haynes, went to social media to react to the decision. "I want to thank (the UIL) and (Texas Association of Sports Officials) for all that they do for our kids in Texas!" Haynes said. "We received good news today and looking forward to the game this Friday!! Thank (sic) everyone that has reached out and the Wildcats are 5-0!!!!!"
Unbelievable. Texas high school official rips off player’s helmet and ejects him immediately after 🤯 🎥 @CoachHightower3 pic.twitter.com/8Gn2izyB5C — SBLive Sports (@SBLiveSports) October 1, 2023
A video of the incident was shared on the social media network formerly known as Twitter. It shows Trey Haynes bumping into the referee while trying to pursue the play. The official then grabs the player's helmet with two hands and pulls the player's head until the helmet comes off. Haynes reacted by throwing his hands in the air, which led to the official throwing a flag and disqualifying him from the game.
"The UIL is addressing a concerning incident that occurred during the Whitney vs. Dallas Madison varsity football game on September 29, involving a sports official and a student athlete from Whitney High School," the UIL said in a statement. "In cooperation with the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO), the UIL has taken action to reverse the game ejection of the student athlete from Whitney High School. Additionally, the official involved has been removed from officiating UIL games pending the completion of a thorough investigation.
The name of the official has not been revealed by the UIL. It is also not clear what will happen to the official once the investigation is complete. Whitney won the game on Friday night, defeating Madison 56-28 in Dallas.
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Dallas high school football ref rips off player's helmet mid-game, UIL investigating
High school football referee rips off player's helmet, faces discipline
A high school football referee in Texas is now facing discipline for ripping the helmet off of a player. The Whitney High School player involved is David Haynes lll, son of the head coach, who was ejected from the contest.
David Haynes’ wife posted the video of the situation on social media, which prompted an investigation from the University Interscholastic League and Texas Association of Sports Officials.
@uiltexas how is this allowed from a ref!!!!!!! And then you eject MY SON and you literally assaulted him!!!!!!! @kwtxsports @kwtx @FoxNews @25NewsKXXV @CoachHaynesJr @WacoTribSports pic.twitter.com/W2vQQikXmp — Karla Haynes (@KarlaAHaynes) September 30, 2023
In the video, it appears Haynes lll bumped into the referee accidentally. Because of this, the Haynes were advocating for their son to not miss the upcoming contest on Friday as the team strives to remain undefeated.
That request has been granted and the referee is suspended until the conclusion of the investigation.
Via a statement from the UIL on Monday: “In cooperation with the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO), the UIL has taken action to reverse the game ejection of the student athlete from Whitney High School. Additionally, the official involved has been removed from officiating UIL games pending the completion of a thorough investigation.”
Haynes is upset by the situation but hopes his team can rally past it and propel towards a special season.
“I have 35 varsity football players, and all those kids are my babies, and I love them all,” Coach Haynes said. “I want our kids to understand that we’re a family and we’re going to protect each other, but 5 and 0 at Whitney, that hasn’t been done in a long, long, time, and so that’s our main focus.”
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Texas high school football official pulls off helmet, ejects player mid-game: Look
A video shared to social media late Friday night an official aggressively pull a player's helmet off after the two became tangled in the middle of a play in a Texas high school football game.
Footage shows a Whitney (Texas) linebacker bumping into the umpire while backpedaling during a live play.
The official reacts by grabbing the player's helmet, removing it forcefully with two hands and throwing a flag in rapid succession.
The clips were first posted by Karla Haynes, the mother of the player involved, who said he was then ejected.
Standout linebacker Trey Haynes was the player involved. The senior, who is listed a 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds, appears to throw his arms up and look around in confusion.
Trey is also the son of Whitney head football coach David Haynes.
Karla Haynes' post read: "@uiltexas how is this allowed from a ref!!!!!!! And then you eject MY SON and you literally assaulted him!!!!!!!"
Whitney (5-0, 3-0) went on to beat Madison (2-4, 2-2) handily, 56-28, at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas.
The tweets showed two angles of the play from both sides. Watch both angles here:
The video circulated on the social media late Friday night and drew widespread backlash.
The identify of the ref and any potential consequences are not immediately known.
Joey O'Hearn, an assistant coach with the team, was among the many to weigh in on the footage on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Unfortunate that this happened tonight but proud of (Trey Haynes) for keeping his composure and walking away," O'Hearn said in a social media post . "And congrats to these young men. Here in Whitney for being 5-0 on the season 3-0 in district!"
The District 7-3A matchup took place in Dallas.
This is a developing story.
View the original article to see embedded media.
-- Andy Buhler | [email protected] | @sblivetx
IMAGES
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Late last week the football world was in an uproar after a high school official ripped a player's helmet off during a game. During the Whitney-Dallas Madison game in Texas, an official was in the ...
A Dallas high school football referee ripped off a player's helmet during a game. September 30, 20235:42 PM ET. Juliana Kim. The Texas high school athletic association is investigating an incident ...
The UIL is investigating after a viral video shows a referee ripping a helmet off a high school football player during a Friday night game in North Texas.
A high school referee is under investigation after a video of him ripping off a player's helmet and then ejecting him the from the game went viral over the weekend.
Dallas high school football ref rips off player's helmet mid-game, UIL investigating 00:40. WHITNEY (CBSNewsTexas.com) - A Friday night football game in Dallas is causing quite a stir after a now ...
The referee responds to the second bump by grabbing the player, whom Haynes says is her son, by the facemask and ripping his helmet off. The referee throws a flag after the play, at which point ...
Video shows a ref absolutely mauling a player and ripping his helmet off after the player bumped into him during a Friday game between Whitney and Dallas Madison, according to Yahoo Sports. The player was later identified as Trey Haynes, whose dad is the head coach of Whitney. To make matters even crazier, the ref then threw a flag and ejected ...
After the collision, the official ripped off the player's helmet and threw a penalty flag on the defender. Then, the umpire ejected the player, according to his mother's post on X, formerly ...
Multiple videos of the altercation appear to show a high school official ripping the helmet off a player during a matchup featuring Texas high schools Whitney and Dallas Madison. Take a look.
Ref grabs player's facemask, causing helmet to come off. The UIL said it is "looking into" an incident between a player and referee at a high school football game in North Texas Friday night in ...
Ref grabs player's facemask, causing helmet to come off. The UIL said it is "looking into" an incident between a player and referee at a high school football game in North Texas Friday night in ...
During the Texas high school football game between Whitney and Dallas Madison, a Whitney player got tangled up with a ref and the ref intentionally yanked hi...
Whitney High School was competing against James Madison High School at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas when a Whitney football player, Trey Haynes, collided with the referee. The sports official aggressively pushed back and tore off Haynes' helmet, according to a video shared by Haynes' mother. Haynes is also the son of the Whitney football coach ...
The UIL said it is "looking into" an incident between a player and referee at a high school football game in North Texas Friday night in which video shows th...
The back of a referee on a football field. Update on Monday, October 2: Texas UIL released a statement that the referee captured in the viral video has been removed from officiating as the office ...
A high school football referee is in some trouble for what he did during a game on Friday night. During the Whitney-Dallas Madison game in Texas, a ref appeared to rip a player's helmet off for no ...
A high school football referee in Texas is under investigation for a puzzling incident during a game last month. Video appears to show a high school football referee ripping a player's helmet off ...
By Brian Jones - October 4, 2023 02:23 pm EDT. A high school football official from Texas has been suspended pending an investigation after a video showed him ripping off the helmet of a player during a live play. The incident happened on Friday night, and the player, Trey Haynes from Whitney High School, was ejected by the official after ...
Dallas high school football ref rips off player's helmet mid-game, UIL investigating The Whitney Wildcats were playing the James Madison Trojans at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas Friday night when a ...
As he kept the 5-foot-11, 225-pounder locked up, the referee proceeded to grab his helmet and rip it forcefully from his head with two hands. In rapid succession, the official proceeded to throw a ...
A high school football referee in Texas is now facing discipline for ripping the helmet off of a player. The Whitney High School player involved is David Haynes lll, son of the head coach, who was ...
Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports. A video shared to social media late Friday night an official aggressively pull a player's helmet off after the two became tangled in the middle of a play in a Texas ...