Alabama High School QB Kicked Off Team For Punching Teammate's Dad During Fight Between Parents In The Stands
Chaos in the stands in Citronelle, Alabama after a high school football game last Friday night led to the arrests of two parents. It also resulted in a senior quarterback being kicked off the team.
All this after their team won the game. The Citronelle Wildcats had just moved to 5-2 on the season after defeating the UMS-Wright Prep Bulldogs 14-7 when a verbal confrontation in the stands between two of the Cintronelle parents turned physical.
The fight between Stephen Byrd and Chris Edmunds is on video. The part the local news got their hands on shows Edmunds taking several swings at Byrd, who is being led away from the confrontation by another man. At this time, the players are still on the field in a huddle.
A couple of the punches appear to land before Citronelle quarterback Daylon Edmunds enters the stands and unloads a big right hand to Byrd's chin. The punch rocks his teammate's father, who then ducks for cover. The parents and the quarterback are all separated after the punch connects.
Both parents were arrested and charged for their roles in the fighting in the stands
News 5 Sports reports that Citronelle police chief Chris McLean told them that both of the parents were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. The two men have also posted bond.
Whether Edmunds and Byrd are allowed back on campus will be up to Mobile County Public Schools. Daylon Edmunds was suspended from school for five days and kicked off the football team.
"While this is a disappointing situation, it is not a reflection of the Citronelle community, school and football program. Coach Jason Rowell has worked hard to build the Wildcat program the right way — this was a situation in the stands between individuals who chose to begin a fight," McLean said on the incident.
Chris Edmunds, who set one hell of an example for his son by fighting in the stands, thinks the punishment for his son Daylon is too harsh. He points out that his son has never been in trouble and is a straight-A student.
That all could very well be true. However, if punching a teammate's dad in the face isn't worthy of being removed from the team, what is worthy of removal? Where's the line?
Does getting kicked off the team start at punching other members of a teammate's family? Does grandma take a haymaker, and we say that's too far?