College football player badly injured after bizarre collision with ref
By Mark Kern
Published:
Every week during the college football season, it seems like there are multiple plays where you ask yourself, ‘I don’t think I have ever seen that before’.
In Week 9, that once again happened in one of the more bizarre plays you will ever see.
During a game between East Carolina and Temple on Saturday, an official came sprinting in after a play, and he slipped and lost his balance. He ended up taking out East Carolina freshman defensive back David Coleman Jr., who was forced to leave the game with an injury.
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The first-year defensive back was unable to put weight on his leg after the collision, and he had to be helped to the sideline. According to the ESPN broadcast, he was taken to the hospital.
Coleman Jr. was a three-star prospect in the 2026 class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. Hailing from Georgia, he was the No. 1266-ranked player nationally and No. 116 safety. He has four tackles this season.
The Pirates were able to move to 4-4 on the year with a 17-9 win against the Owls.
