A Michigan high school football player has spoken out against his teammate's 'horrible decision' to perform an illegal tackle that broke an opponent's spine. The incident occurred during a game between Kalamazoo Central High School and Lakeshore High School, when a Kalamazoo Central player bellyflopped onto a Lakeshore player who was already on the ground. The injured teen suffered a broken vertebra in his lower spine, his family said.
Rhys Biske, a 15-year-old teammate of the Kalamazoo Central player, condemned the move in a TikTok video posted on his mother's account. 'The decision my teammate made and what he did to the Lakeshore player was not alright,' Biske said. 'It was an illegal move and had no place. I'm not going to try to defend that. It was a horrible decision.' He described the move as intentional but without malicious intent, calling it a 'celebration or to be funny.'
The injured player's mother, Courtney Mims, said she initially feared her son might never walk again after seeing footage of the tackle. 'I've never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son,' she told WSBT. Her son is recovering at home and will miss the rest of the season, with uncertainty about whether he will play again, though a full recovery is expected.
Biske also revealed that his team and coaches have received death threats and racist comments online and via phone calls to the school. He denied that coaches taught the bellyflop technique, stating, 'My teammate made this decision by himself. We have never been taught to jump on other people.' He urged that the coaches not be threatened because of one player's actions. The Kalamazoo Township Police Department is investigating the threats.
The father of the Kalamazoo Central player addressed the school board, acknowledging his son was wrong and accepting punishment, but pleaded for his son's education not to be taken away. The superintendent of Lakeshore Public Schools, Greg Eding, called the conduct 'intentional, unprovoked, and flagrant' and noted that 'serious disciplinary consequences' had been applied. Kalamazoo Public Schools stated the behaviour does not reflect their values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity.
