A Utah football coach suspended all 80 players on his Union High School team and made them turn in their jerseys after a 40-16 loss last week.
Coach Matt Labrum told reporters:
“We felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going. We felt like we needed to make a stand.”
Players had been reportedly missing class and bullying fellow students over the internet.
In a letter issued to students outlining the reason for the suspension and what players would need to do in order to be reinstated, Labrum said:
“The lack of character we are showing off the field is outshining what we are achieving on the field. It is a privilege to play this wonderful game! We must earn the opportunity to have the honor to put on our high school jerseys each Thursday and Friday night!”
It is unknown whether the students have met the requirements, but it was reported that during the week they weren’t practicing members of the team were expected to do community service and attend study hall.
Nice way to send a message to a group of young men, but I wonder it they’d won that game whether the same actions would’ve been taken.