North Texas

UIL Investigates Football Incident After it Goes Viral

The UIL is investigating an incident on the football field a North Texas mother is calling too rough after her son was held down and left with a concussion.

It happened at a game on September 13 between Burleson High School’s freshman football team and Waco University High School.

Jennifer Gower was sitting in the stands when a player from Waco took her son Jagger to the ground. As the player continues to push him down, Gower can be heard screaming for someone to get him off. Jagger later told her the player was choking him.

“That’s not a tackle… it was awful,” said Gower reflecting on the moment.

Jagger remains sidelined due to doctor’s orders while they wait for his head injury to heal. But according to Gower, other parents told her the player responsible for the injuries was seen on the field one week later.

“That’s unacceptable. The kids should not be playing. He should not be on the field, and I strongly believe that,” said Gower.

Waco ISD released a statement Thursday saying, “We do not condone the behavior depicted in the videos posted on Facebook. We have high expectations for our student athletes, and when a student fails to meet them, there are consequences. In this situation, the player faced consequences mandated by UIL and additional consequences imposed by the district.”

Meanwhile the UIL has confirmed it is investigating the incident. It also said Waco ISD’s response to force the ejected player to miss the rest of the game and the first half of the next game met the minimum automatic penalty.

A statement went on to say, “The school and the local district executive committee have the authority to impose additional suspensions or additional penalties for involved students. The UIL State Executive Committee also has the authority to impose additional penalties.”

For Gower, the discipline handed down so far isn’t enough. She says that’s why she’s fighting for her son and making sure his story get heard.

“I don’t want this to happen any other kid or parent or family. I also want parents that are out there and your kids are in sports or whatever they’re involved in, if there’s something you know is wrong, don’t be scared to stand up and say something about it and do something about it,” said Gower.

The UIL says while there’s no State Executive Committee meeting scheduled for the case, that could change as the UIL continues to investigate.

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