WATCH: Former NFL QB Trent Dilfer Confronts Player During Sideline Meltdown
Former Baltimore Raven Trent Dilfer appeared to get physical with a player during an angry sideline confrontation at a high school football game.
Dilfer, 49, is the head coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. During a game on Friday night, the former NFL vet got into a heated exchange with one of his players, Beau Dawson, in which the 6’4 Dilfer appeared to grab Dawson’s pads and drive him back while screaming.
Trent Dilfer doesn’t like when his high school players talk back at him 😳 pic.twitter.com/xZA15WHVhn
— BroBible (@BroBible) August 28, 2021
Dilfer took responsibility for “unfairly” singling Dawson out for criticism in a statement that appeared on the school’s Twitter account.
“During a moment of frustration in an attempt to get our team to play with more discipline, I unfairly singled Beau out,” Dilfer wrote. “Somehow Beau Dawson has been portrayed publicly as the culprit in this situation, when in reality I should have been a better leader and shown greater wisdom and discernment in how I handled this incident. Overall, I could not be more proud of Beau and the rest of our team for how they handle the emotional nature of each game they compete in.”
A statement from our Head Coach Trent Dilfer on the viral video going around #BeSetApartpic.twitter.com/uzS1DFt03D
— Lipscomb Academy Football (@LAmustangFB) August 29, 2021
Dilfer certainly had his critics on Twitter. However, there were also those who felt like the incident was overblown.
Sad that coaches can't even try and discipline their players without everyone getting pissy about it
— Matt (@VFL199057) August 29, 2021
That Trent Dilfer video wasn't that bad
I expected some Bobby Knight ish based on how twitter was describing it and it was mild as hell.
Is there more?
— Jason Maples (@JJMaples55_MST) August 29, 2021
As a football player… I'm comfortable getting yelled at if I'm not doing my job, but you not gonna put your hands on me. Me and Dilfer would've had to rumble that day
— Eagles Nation (@D4_Bl4ck_M4mb4) August 28, 2021
Whether the incident is an egregious overstepping of bounds or an old-school attempt to discipline and motivate his players, it’s on Twitter which means it’s bad for Dilfer.
Lipscomb won the game, 62-7.
