Well, this is one way to sustain an injury as a coach. Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott told reporters he suffered a torn bicep during the Panthers’ game against NC State last weekend. The cause? Why, celebrating a GSU touchdown with a fist pump on the sideline, of course:
Welp, Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott tore his bicep while fist-pump celebrating a touchdown
The Panthers scored a touchdown early in the first quarter against NC State.
Naturally, I decided to try and find the moment when this happened, and thanks to the clever work of my colleague, Richard Johnson, I think we’ve found it. Georgia State’s only touchdown during Saturday’s 41-7 NC State victory came early in the first quarter. After the score, Elliott could be seen viciously fist pumping in celebration:
Coaches sustaining injuries on the sidelines isn’t all that uncommon. Former Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio injured his leg after a player collision, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton did the same in 2011. Charlie Weis got his legs taken out from under him and suffered a torn ACL and MCL. But a coach suffering an injury from fist pumping? That has to be a first.
We’ve seen an injury from celebration happen to a player before — in 2001 Arizona Cardinals kicker Bill Gramatica infamously tore his ACL after celebrating this field goal:
Hopefully Shawn Elliott takes it easy when celebrating TDs on the sideline from now on. The Panthers face Memphis on the road Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
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