Police are investigating 2 high school football players for tackling a ref

Football ref
(Image credit: iStock)

Two high school football players were swiftly suspended from the team and from school after they tackled a referee from behind during a game Friday night. The Texas students may also face criminal charges as police conduct an investigation, ESPN reports.

In the unsettling incident captured on video, one defensive back tackled the referee, causing his head to snap back. Then a second defensive back speared the referee with his helmet and piled on after the official had fallen to the ground.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.