Texas High School Football Coach Placed on Leave After Allegedly Forcing Players to do ‘Hundreds’ of Push-Ups

Several high school football players needed medical attention, and “some” had to be transported to the hospital after their head coach reportedly forced them to do “hundreds” of push-ups as punishment.

John Harrell, head coach at Rockwall Heath High School, has been placed on administrative leave while “an independent third party investigation” into the allegations against him is carried out.

The school wrote a letter to parents announcing that the incident occurred on Friday during an off-season workout.

“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 letter read, according to the Dallas Morning News. “District administrators and campus personnel have been in contact with the affected families and student-athletes.”

The letter claimed several players needed medical attention, and “some” were hospitalized. While the letter did not say exactly how many push-ups were ordered by the coach. One parent told Fox 4 in Ft. Worth that their child informed them that the punishment was 300 push-ups in an hour with no water and no break.

That same parent told Fox 4, “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.”

The parent reportedly asked not to be identified and said their child was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

The claim that players were not given water and no breaks were given is disputed by Brady Luff, a junior captain on the team.

According to Luff, water was available, and players were even free to leave. The junior captain also defended his coach.

“He’s treated us with nothing but respect and he loves every single one of us like his own,” Luff said.

“Coach Harrell was named head football coach at Rockwall Heath a year ago,” Fox 4 reports. “He’s been a coach in the school’s football program since 2019.”