U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., a Congressman from New Jersey, reached out to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany Tuesday, urging him to launch an investigation into Michigan’s handling of quarterback Shane Morris on Saturday against Minnesota.
Pascrell is the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force and wrote in his letter to Delany that “allowing a possibly concussed player to determine whether or not he is fit to return to play not only violates common sense, but is also an egregious violation of standard concussion protocol.”
The play in question occurred in the fourth quarter of the Wolverines’ home loss to Minnesota. Morris, a sophomore quarterback, was hit hard in the helmet and was visibly dazed as he stood up. Despite needing to lean on teammates in order to maintain his balance, Morris looked to the sideline and waved off coaches and trainers and stayed in the game for an additional play. Later on, he returned to the game for another play after his backup, Devin Gardner, was forced to come out for a play when his helmet came off.
Pascrell’s letter then cites head coach Brady Hoke’s comments about the situation from Monday.
“During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Michigan coach Brady Hoke initially stated that he “[didn’t] know if [Morris] has a concussion or not.” Hoke also stated that "Shane's a pretty competitive, tough kid. And Shane wanted to be the quarterback, and so, believe me, if he didn't want to be, he would've come to the sideline or stayed down." Allowing a possibly concussed player to determine whether or not he is fit to return to play not only violates common sense, but is also an egregious violation of standard concussion protocol, including protocol set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big Ten Conference.”
Pascrell then asks for Delany to investigate the matter and “reexamine the protocols in place and what changes can be made to improve them” while also establishing “penalties for violations of concussion protocols.”
Since Hoke addressed the media Monday afternoon, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon released a statement early Tuesday morning saying that Morris did, in fact, suffer a concussion and apologized for miscommunications which allowed Morris to continue playing.
The entire letter from Pascrell to Delany can be viewed here.
For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Congressman asks Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany to investigate Shane Morris incident
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