Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer issued an apology over the weekend after he was caught on video berating and shoving one of his high school football players.
Dilfer, the head coach of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn., was seen grabbing tight end Beau Dawson by the front of his shoulder pads while screaming in the player’s face.
Dawson is the son of former NFL kicker Phil Dawson, who is the school’s special teams coordinator.
“First and foremost, I take full responsibility as the head coach and leader of our team for not deescalating an emotional situation with one of our players, Beau Dawson,” Dilfer said in a statement through the school, according to Pro Football Talk. “Beau is one of our finest student-athletes and embodies all the characteristics we are looking for in our Mustang players.
“During a moment of frustration in an attempt to get our team to play with more discipline, I unfairly singled Beau out. Somehow Beau Dawson has been portrayed publicly as the culprit in this situation, when in reality I should have been a better leader and shown greater wisdom and discernment in how I handled this incident.”
Dilfer, who helped the Ravens beat the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, has served as head coach at Lipscomb since 2019.
It is unclear whether the 49-year-old will face discipline for his role in the incident.