Michigan head coach Brady Hoke has come under heavy scrutiny after the Wolverines allowed Shane Morris to play on Saturday despite the quarterback appearing to be obviously injured. Hoke said the team is "confident proper medical decisions were made" according to a statement released by the school on Sunday.
Brady Hoke ‘confident’ Michigan acted correctly in playing an injured Shane Morris
Michigan re-inserted what appeared to be a concussed Shane Morris into the game. Brady Hoke said he’s confident the team acted correctly while not mentioning a concussion.
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"The safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority. Shane Morris was removed from yesterday's game against Minnesota after further aggravating an injury to his leg that he sustained earlier in the contest. He was evaluated by our experienced athletic trainers and team physicians and we're confident proper medical decisions were made.
The (U-M) has a distinguished group of Certified Athletic Trainers and team physicians who are responsible for determining whether or not a player is physically able to play. Our coaches have no influence or authority to make determinations if or when an injured player returns to competition. The health and welfare of our student-athletes is and will continue to be a top priority."
Morris took a helmet-to-helmet hit during the fourth quarter of a 30-7 loss to Minnesota. Following the hit, he appeared woozy and had to be held up by an offensive lineman at one point. He remained in the game for a play, however, before then retreating to the sideline. While he was briefly examined by medical personnel, he re-entered the game just a few plays later after replacement Devin Gardner lost his helmet and was forced to sit out a play. The entire sequence can be seen in the video below.
In the statement, Hoke said Morris was evaluated after aggravating a leg injury and did not mention a concussion. The television broadcast showed medical personnel talking to Morris on the sideline, but never showed anyone checking on a leg or ankle injury. It appeared obvious that Morris was being evaluated for a concussion, but it’s hard to argue he received a full and proper evaluation considering how quickly he returned to the field out of necessity.
After the game, Hoke said he didn’t know whether Morris had suffered a concussion and said if Morris wanted out of the game, he would have said so.
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