Football issues

Terry Hoeppner, head football coach
Indiana University, Bloomington
USA Today

Discussing clarifications that strengthen rules against head-down contact:

"If you drop your head, No. 1, I'm going to take you out of the game, and No. 2, let me know what kind of flowers you want, and I'll send them. I don't allow it."

Bobby Gaston, coordinator of officials
Southeastern Conference
USA Today

"We've told our referees, for instance, anytime the defensive player is charging the passer and you see him lower that head, suspect strongly toward spearing. Another trick they use is they come in and put their head right on the chest bone of the passer and then rip up with the top of the head, and it is very dangerous, very punishing."

Ron Courson, director of sports medicine
University of Georgia
USA Today

Discussing a helmet-to-helmet hit in last year's Georgia-Auburn game that resulted in a Georgia player being knocked unconscious on the field:

"That was the ESPN highlight hit of the week. And it was the lead-in to college football for four straight days -- and it was an illegal hit.

"What's a high-school player going to think when he sees that? ...

"Every once in a while, in a rare instance, you may get somebody who's put in an inappropriate position by accident. But in most cervical spine injuries, somebody came in and put their head down."

Joe Paterno, head football coach
Pennsylvania State University
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Discussing the trend for signed football prospects to enroll in college early and participate in spring practice:

"I'm not crazy about it. You'd like to see kids go through high school, go to the prom. My gut feeling is that it's not the best thing in the world. But you pick up the paper and read about a 17-year-old basketball player. I picked up the paper and the (Pittsburgh) Penguins signed a 17-year-old hockey player. Everybody is looking at the big bucks, and most of these guys coming out, they're not thinking about staying four years. They're going to get it all done in three years. So I don't know. I can't do anything about it. I was not about to tell (two Penn State recruits) we weren't going to take them. I'm dumb, but not that dumb."