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John Harrell, the head football coach at Rockwall Heath High School in Texas, was suspended after some of the players had to be either hospitalized or needed medical attention after being rigorously punished to do 300 push-ups. The principal at Rockwall asserted that steps are being taken to find out exactly what caused this catastrophe.
According to the school district, an independent third party was hired to investigate the incident. They said:
"Student safety is a top priority for Rockwall ISD. We will continue to take immediate and appropriate measures in the best interests of our students as we address this situation."
John Harrell has since been placed on administrative leave. He is likely to remain suspended until the investigation is complete. The principal informed the parents in a letter that the incident took place on Friday, January 6, during an off-session football match.
The letter, however, did not mention the number of students that needed to be hospitalized, nor did it specify exactly what happened to them. According to one of the parents whose children were hospitalized, John Harrell made the athletes do 300 pushups in an hour with no break or water.
The parent claimed that their child has been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. They asked FOX 4 not to disclose their identity and said:
“As a parent we send our kids to school trusting that they will be cared for at the highest level. That has been the case until this unfortunate event.”
A junior captain of the football team claimed John Harrell was not punishing the players, but disciplining them
Harrell has been in the school’s football program as a coach since 2019. He was made Rockwall Heath’s head football coach in 2022. Harrell has also coached other football programs around North Texas.
Brady Luff, the football team's junior captain at Rockwall Heath, who was present at the workout, said that he believes Harrell did not punish the players, but he was instilling discipline in them instead.
Luff said:
“I’m praying for all the sides that are in the hospital. They’re my brothers.”
He contradicted the statement given by one of the parents who said that the students were not allowed to drink water or take a break during the push-ups. Luff claimed that water was available to the players and they were also free to leave.
He added that coach Harrell treated the athletes with nothing but respect and that Harrell loves every single one of them like his own.
Brady Luff’s mother, Stephanie Luff, defended the coach as well. She said:
"So, if anything was going on with this situation that I thought these kids were being harmed, I would’ve been the first person up at the principal’s office or wherever I need to go to have this shut down."
Some of the athletes expressed their concern about the impact this incident would have on the team’s morale. A senior and former football player, Caden Washburn, said that he felt like there were a few kids with whom the push-ups did not work well.
Last Monday, the athletic trainer at Rockwall Heath sent out messages to the players’ families, who were in that off-session match, advising them to watch out for symptoms such as abdominal problems and sharp arm pain.
The school district said that it has been keeping updates on the affected athletes and has been in touch with their families.
John Harrell’s athletic experiences during his career include Head Powerlifting Coach, Run Game Coordinator, and Offensive Coordinator. Harrell has also taught Geography and World History previously.
His first coaching experience was as a Tight End Graduate Assistant Coach and an Offensive Line at the collegiate level at Tarleton State University. John Harrell coached in the same positions at Hutchinson Community College and Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.
He has been working as a Run Game Coordinator and the Head Coach at Rockwall Heath High School.
