By now, we’ve all watched the clip of the Texas State Trooper pushing his way in between two South Carolina players – confrontationally bumping shoulders with one – in the tunnel of Kyle Field during a heated SEC showdown between Texas A&M and the Gamecocks.
But the officer wasn’t done yet. It was the nasty display that took place immediately afterward, as the officer shouted at the uniformed South Carolina players and pointed toward the field, presumably telling them to exit the tunnel. As a Black man, unfortunately, I understood that moment all too well.
The unwarranted aggression toward those players was sickening. The moment was unforgivable.
The disdain the officer displayed toward those Black athletes who were simply trying to return to the field following a play in which South Carolina Nyck Harbor appeared to tweak his hamstring was just disgusting. You could see Harbor grab the back of his leg in pain, and his teammates followed behind to see about him.
Officer Fife came back there like the South Carolina players were about to rob the place in the middle of the game. It felt like he took that whole 12th Man thing way too far.
A friend of mine said to me that you can find out a lot about a person based on their actions when nobody is looking. But what’s the narrative on a man who dares to do something like that with 100,000 people in the stadium and the national glare of an ESPN viewing audience? I shudder to think of the treatment a Black man would receive from that officer when nobody is looking.
The only person in the stadium in College Station who wasn’t aware of the incident was South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who had to be told about what had transpired by the media during his postgame press conference. Beamer must not have been paying attention to the game either, which explains why the Gamecocks allowed a one-time 26-3 lead to end in a 31-30 loss to the Aggies.
Of course, this past weekend, Texas A&M and the Texas Department of Public Safety seemed to deal with the fallout correctly. I stress “seemed.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is aware of the incident that occurred today during the Texas A&M football game. The DPS Trooper involved was sent home from the game. Our Office of Inspector General (OIG) is also aware of the incident and will be further looking into the matter. No additional information will be released at this time.
With ESPN cameras constantly replaying the incident and college football analysts criticizing the officer’s actions in real time, it was announced that the officer had been sent home and relieved of his game-day duties. But what was enough? What does being relieved of his game-day assignment entail?
It should start with never being allowed back into Kyle Field in any capacity ever again. NBA star and my Northeast Ohio homie LeBron James, who was among a handful of celebrities to deliver hot takes, said the officer should be suspended.
James tweeted on X “That A&M cop needs to suspended! That was premeditated and corny AF!! . He went out his way to start some shit. Do better man.”
I say the trooper should be relieved of his duties, and an internal investigation into not just that incident but his entire record with DPS should already be underway. We should also know his name and badge number in the spirit of transparency.
DPS should be upfront about this. Texas A&M and its well-earned and proudly worn redneck reputation want this. We, as citizens, should demand it.
The lives and safety of our young Black men deserve it.
