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

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.

"I've never seen anything like this in all my years of officiating at the high school, collegiate, or professional level," NFL Referees Association head Jim Quirk told ABC News.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It was an all-around dirty 15-9 loss for John Jay High School, which also saw two more of their players ejected from the game on separate plays.