Did Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher go too far, grabbing linebacker Tyrel Dodson’s facemask after a scuffle against Arkansas?
Football is an emotional sport and sometimes there are scuffles that form after a big hit or in crucial situations. Sometimes frustration boils over and it did just that for Tyrel Dodson and, if you can believe it, Texas A&M head coach Tyrel Dodson.
No, the two didn’t exactly get into a verbal altercation with one another on the sidelines, but Fisher got in Dodson’s face with a grab of the facemask and a shove after his star linebacker nearly got into a physical battle with Arkansas — there would have been an ill-advised penalty which would ensue.
Fisher took exception to the interaction between Dodson and an Arkansas player.
The head coach explained after the game that he didn’t want one of his top defenders getting into it and potentially costing the Aggies some yards, or even triggering an ejection, so he had to make a point.
Did he go too far?
In today’s society, this is an eye-opening scenario. Back in the 1990s or even before that, no one would have batted an eye if a coach got in a player’s face like this, but in the age of social media, things like this don’t often go unnoticed and they usually force a public reprimand.
No, Fisher shouldn’t have grabbed Dodson’s facemask the way he did, but he did need to make a point for his linebacker. He could have done it in a different way, but Fisher is an old-school type of guy.
Fisher may have gone slightly too far only because the moral police on social media will make sure this is a big deal even though Dodson would tell you he probably needed this type of interaction with his head coach to set him straight.