Several high school football players have been hospitalized after their coach instructed them to do a brutal push-up punishment.
Extreme squad punishments - such as being made to run multiple laps of the field - might be fairly common, but rarely are punishments so intense that they leave players with more than a stitch, let alone serious medical issues.
The incident took place at Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas where coach John Harrell instructed his players to perform 400 push-ups within an hour, per the Dallas Morning News.
The punishment sounds grueling enough but mixed with not having any water breaks, it became a medical concern leaving eight of the players requiring treatment at the hospital.
As reported by WFAA, a number of players showed symptoms of rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) which is a condition that can be life-threatening.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdo is a condition that is mostly found in athletes, military personnel, and the elderly and is a condition where the muscles break down.
Symptoms of the condition include dark urine that is brown, red, or tea-colored, sore and tender muscles as well as swelling. Players of the Texas high school team have been advised to seek medical help if they are unable to bend or extend their arms or lift them above their heads.
Coach Harrell has been placed on leave while an independent third-party organization investigates the case - he had been head of the coaching program for one year but has been a staff member at the school since 2019, per the New York Post.
The Rockwall Independent School District (RISD) sent a letter to concerned parents following the incident. The letter confirmed the details of the case, revealing that "several" students had been admitted to the hospital.
The letter, obtained by WFAA, went on: "Please know the district immediately implemented measures to address the situation and provide support for our students.
"To thoroughly investigate any connection between the activities in class and student illnesses, the district is retaining an independent third party to investigate the event.
"The district is also taking interim action, including but not limited to, placing Coach Harrell on administrative leave while the investigation is pending and notifying appropriate outside agencies."
The health of football players has been in the spotlight recently, following NFL star Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest while playing for the Buffalo Bills.
We hope the students involved make a speedy recovery.