Tennessee HS Football Player Suspended After Hitting Referee on Video

Malcolm Easley, a football player for Glencliff High School in Tennessee, has reportedly been suspended after a collision with a referee during a game last Friday.

WSMV-TV Channel 4 (h/t Adam Brown of the Gallatin News, via Carley Gordon of WSMV.com) confirmed he will miss the team's next game. Brown reports Easley was penalized after the incident, which saw him run over umpire Kyle Gill in the second quarter. The official doesn't believe it was an accident, because the two had just discussed the situation, per Brown:

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I had spoken to the player on the play before and he told me that I was in his way. I asked him how long he'd been playing football and he had to realize that the referees are part of the field. I told him that he should have to avoid me and not the other way around. On the very next play, you saw what happened.

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Matthew Gillespie of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association told the Gallatin News the governing body didn't plan on handing down any additional punishment.

"We have reviewed the tape several times and based on what we reviewed there was no intent to target the official. The player was running in the direction of the ball-carrier and hit the official. No information we received before or after the play would give us any indication that this was malicious intent," Gillespie said.

Brandon Easley, Glencliff's head coach and the player's father, stated his son will be in contact with the official involved, per Sam Brown of the Tennessean: "He has been given his punishment from the school, his head coach and his parents. There's a couple things he will be doing to make this right. It's a game off, it's (attending) classes, it's the letter to the official."

It's the second high-profile instance of alleged referee targeting by high school players this month. On Sept. 4, two defensive players for John Jay High School in Texas were also caught on video as they tackled an official from behind. They later claimed on Good Morning America (via Dan Good of ABCNews.com) that an assistant coach ordered the attack.

Easley's father told the Tennessean the incident is something that could have been avoided, and every measure will be taken to ensure it never happens again.