A Michigan high school football player has spoken out against his teammate's 'horrible decision' to perform an illegal move that broke an opponent's spine. The incident occurred during a game between Kalamazoo Central High School and Lakeshore High School last week.
Rhys Biske, a 15-year-old sophomore at Kalamazoo Central, said in a TikTok video that his teammate's actions were 'not alright' and had 'no place' in the sport. The move involved the player bellyflopping onto a Lakeshore player who was already lying on the ground, resulting in a broken vertebrae in the lower spine.
Courtney Mims, the injured player's mother, said she initially feared her son might never walk again after seeing footage of the incident. She confirmed that her son will not play for the rest of the season and is recovering at home, with hopes for a full recovery.
Biske also revealed that the team and coaches have received death threats and racist comments online and via phone calls to the school. He denied that coaches taught the illegal move, stating that the decision was made solely by his teammate.
The Kalamazoo Township Police Department is investigating the threats. The father of the Kalamazoo Central player addressed the school board, accepting punishment but pleading for his son's education not to be taken away.
Lakeshore Public Schools superintendent Greg Eding described the conduct as an 'intentional, unprovoked, and flagrant violation' of rules, while Kalamazoo Public Schools stated that the behaviour does not reflect their values of sportsmanship and integrity.
