Head football coach at Rockwall Heath High School in Texas, John Harrell, was suspended after many players required medical treatment after being forced to perform 300 push-ups as punishment
Rockwall’s principal has said that the school is taking action to determine what led to this tragedy. The event was looked into by a third party contracted by the school system, the district said.
This resulted in John Harrell being placed on indefinite administrative leave. He will probably be out of commission until the probe is over. The event occurred on Friday, January 6, during an after-school football game, as the principal explained in a letter to the parents.
Who is John Harrell Rockwall Heath High School Texas football head coach who forced players to do 300 push ups
John Harrell has been a part of the school’s football program as a coach since 2019. He was appointed Rockwall Heath’s head football coach in 2022 and has been a part of other football programs across North Texas.
Harrell career in athletics ranges from Head Powerlifting Coach, Run Game Coordinator to Offensive Coordinator and he had previously taught Geography and World History.
Harrell was first hired as Tight End Graduate Assistant Coach, then as Offensive Line at the collegiate level at Tarleton State University and later coached at the same positions at Hutchinson Community College and Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.
This is a photo of Coach John Harrell taken by Rockwall ISD when he was hired.
A source close to the team told me student-athletes were forced to do almost 400 push-ups over a 60-minute athletics period as punishment.
District wouldn't tell me how many were hospitalized. pic.twitter.com/35qbwPUuNC
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) January 11, 2023
Neither the total number of pupils who were hospitalised nor the nature of their injuries were disclosed in the letter. One of the parents whose child was hospitalised claimed that the athletes were forced to perform 300 pushups in one hour without rest or water.
Some come to support John Harrell
A junior football captain insisted that John Harrell was not punishing the team, but rather disciplining them. Harrell is a coach for the school’s football team as of the 2019 season. After a successful season in 2022, he was promoted to head football coach at Rockwall Heath. Harrell has coached for a number of different North Texas football teams.
Attendee and junior captain of the Rockwall Heath football team Brady Luff says Harrell was not punishing the youngsters but rather instilling discipline in them. When one of the parents complained that their child was being forced to do push-ups without water or breaks, he disproved that claim. Luff said the players could get water and go whenever they wanted.
He went on to say that coach Harrell never did anything but treat the athletes with dignity and that Harrell cares deeply about everyone of them as if they were his own children. A number of the players voiced their worries over how this might affect the team’s morale. Caden Washburn, a senior and former football player, said he thought the push-ups didn’t work well for a few kids.
The Rockwall Heath athletic trainer alerted the players’ loved ones last Monday to keep an eye out for symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and acute arm pain in the days following the off-session match. The district has reportedly been in touch with the families of the impacted athletes and has been keeping tabs on their progress.
John Harrell career as a coach
In his sporting career, John Harrell has held the positions of Head Powerlifting Coach, Run Game Coordinator, and Offensive Coordinator. Harrell’s past teaching experience includes global history and geography.
At Tarleton State University, he worked as a Tight End Graduate Assistant Coach. And an Offensive Line Coach for the first time in his career. John Harrell coached at two Kansas community colleges, Hutchinson Community College and Coffeyville Community College, in identical capacities at each. He is currently the Head Coach and Run Game Coordinator at Rockwall Heath High School.
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