Footage of a high school football player ripping off an opponent’s helmet and punching him in the head has sparked outrage after the shocking scene occurred earlier this week.
On Friday night, Baldwin High School and Elizabeth Forward High School faced off in Pennsylvania and things turned ugly during one play.
A Baldwin wide receiver and Elizabeth Forward defensive back were matched up when the receiver grabbed his rival’s facemask and threw him to the ground.
With the player then sitting on the turf without his helmet on, his rival from Baldwin hit him in the face before backpedaling away.
The decision unsurprisingly drew a flag – and plenty of fury from people online.
‘nasty behavior,’ one wrote on X.
Landon Honick had his helmet ripped off by an opponent during a game on Friday
He was then hit in the face by the Baldwin High School player while he was sat on the floor
‘This kid needs his a** kicked! That’s what would’ve happened back in my day!,’ another fumed.
‘This player needs to sit for the rest of the season …very least,’ a third said.
And a fourth added: ‘punching someone who’s sitting on the ground with their back towards you with a helmet on while backing away from them after is quite possibly the weakest thing you can do in sports.’
A player named Landon Honick later identified himself as the player who was punched.
‘My name is Landon honick and I’m the player in this video who was hit in the face last night,’ he wrote on X.
‘There is no room for this type of activity in sports and this unacceptable. I’ve had many people reach out to me to see if I am ok? I just want everyone to know I am fine and I harbor no anger. I would like to wish Baldwin football the best of luck the rest of the season.’
Baldwin coach Dana Brown Jr. also released a lengthy statement on social media, in which he called his player’s actions ‘110 percent unacceptable’
‘It does not reflect the values of our program or what we teach as coaches and mentors. Such conduct has no place in the game, and it was a selfish act that will carry consequences…’
Brown added that the player would be disciplined by the program and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.
