A couple of points. The head coach has absolutely no say on if a player goes back in. This isn’t like Varsity Blues from the 1990s.

I know the team physicians for all the major universities in Utah, including the University of Utah, BYU, and Utah State. They are honestly all fantastic people. They are going to occasionally make mistakes or call things wrong, because that’s sort of the nature of the job. But they do their best and they are well educated and smart and talented people. They run the show when it comes to the decision of whether a player goes back on the field or not.

There are many conditions where you will get more information after the game, including from an MRI or an exam when the adrenaline has worn off, or other testing. A lot of times you don’t know the diagnosis and you’re just making the best guest based on how the player is functioning. Players generally do not want to come out of games if they can still play. So you do your best and you make the decision. You often let players play when they are limping and showing signs of still hurting.

I saw the entire medical team for the Washington Redskins fired years ago when I was part of the group that took over their medical coverage. They made some calls that were not appreciated by ownership.

It’s not an easy job. You don’t have all the details at the time. You make the best educated guess that you can and you try to protect the kids, but also let them play the game.

Some of the talk on this thread that focuses on the rivalry and shows your distain for the other school is sort of ridiculous. These aren’t systematic problems with the university or the medical team. Every case is a case by case basis and the medical staff is doing the best they can.

I could also talk about Bernard. In order to return to the field to play when there is concern for a concussion, the player has to go through a concussion protocol evaluation. He passed the protocol and was allowed to go back in the game by the medical staff. Most schools in the NCAA use the exact same protocol. You don’t overrule the protocol because a player looks a little dizzy or woozy immediately after the play is over. You give them a few moments to gather themselves and then you complete the full evaluation. This is obviously a different story if they are knocked unconscious or exhibiting serious signs like Tua. Nobody on the coaching staff had anything to do with putting him back on the field of play. They look to the training staff and medical team to tell them if he is clear or not and then they coach the game. They deemed him clear.

If a player goes on the field when they shouldn’t, it’s entirely on the head team physician. That one individual is the guy with malpractice insurance who is hired for this exact reason. If you want to blame someone, blame him. But it’s not always so easy.