SZVETITZ COLUMN: Scary scrimmage moment a reminder of football's risks

They were two sounds you just couldn’t shake.

Screaming. Then, silence.

Conversations halted. Knees bent. Breathing even slowed.

Auburn junior defensive end Antonio Coleman lay face down. He wasn’t moving. He just screamed. Then stopped.

Help rushed onto the field. Players knelt to pray. Fans whispered, then stared.

Something was wrong.

For 20 minutes, Coleman didn’t move, lying face-to-face with the Jordan-Hare Stadium turf.

Another sound broke through during that time. Sirens.

As team physicians tended to Coleman, every precaution was taken. Coleman was stabilized, secured to a stretcher and taken to East Alabama Medical Center in an ambulance.
Immediately after the scrimmage, AU head coach Tommy Tuberville said Coleman was alert and talking to coaches and training staff before he was taken to the hospital.

Auburn University released a statement approximately three hours after the incident, stating that Coleman suffered “a cervical sprain,” but was treated and released Saturday afternoon. According to the release, Coleman is expected to make a full recovery.

A great ending to a very scary, and real situation, which could have been very serious.

“I didn’t see (any) emotions on his face,” said junior right guard Byron Isom after practice, who was on the field when Coleman went down. “I said a prayer real quick, because I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

“He was screaming at first, but after that, he got real quiet. ... I think he was more shocked and nervous. Hopefully, it’s not real serious.”

This was just supposed to be a spring scrimmage. Auburn was going to figure out its quarterback situation, while the defense tried to figure out the new spread offense.

It was going to be physical, sure. It’s football. But this wasn’t supposed to happen. This is never supposed to happen.

But it does. And everyone knows it.

“It’s football. It happens,” said AU junior defensive back Jerraud Powers. “It’s a physical sport.”

But that doesn’t mean you should be immune to it.

“It gets you rattled a little bit,” Powers admitted. “I was scared for him. My arm started shaking. I was just scared just to see him on the ground not moving, and him screaming out for help.

“It sort of scares you as a defender just because you know that could be you out there the next play.”

And that might be the scariest part of all.

“You never know when it’s your time,” Powers said. “That’s why they tell us to play every play like it’s your last.”

But ...

“You can’t have getting hurt on your mind. That’s the one thing you can’t play with in football — thinking you’re going to get hurt — because injuries are part of it.”

Unfortunately, he’s right.

And that’s also hard to shake. Unfortunately.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at mszvetitz@oanow.com or 737-2513.