Football coaches aren't laughing about 'knuckleheads'

The quote of the new school year already might be in the bag.

"Never underestimate the impact of a knucklehead."

Off the record, it came from an area high school football coach talking about the spate of athletic code violations in the sport this season.

The comment caught me off-guard and, to be honest, it made me laugh. The coach, however, didn't flash the slightest sign of a smile.

Tears of rage seemed to be more fitting for his mood. This is no laughing matter.

He's not alone, and that's the problem. The majority of area teams have been touched by suspensions of all shapes and sizes this season.

Far too many football players have been standing on the sidelines, unable to play because of behavior -- mostly involving alcohol -- that forced suspensions of various lengths depending on the severity of the violation and how many times the athlete had committed a violation.

Some violations occurred last school year, others occurred at parties in the weeks and months since. Some athletes are high-profile, including those who have blown scholarship opportunities because of their transgressions, and some aren't.

Most violations involve alcohol, a few involve harder drugs and others unfortunately involve driving while under the influence.

It's a cross-section of teenage society bonded by athletic ability and poor choices.

During my recent conversation with this ultra-frustrated coach, I bravely followed up with a handful of questions. Still not too happy, he patiently answered them.

It became clear his frustrations went beyond the impact the loss of these players had on the X's and O's of a football game.

These poor choices, he believes, strike at the heart of a larger character issue. One bad decision and everything's tossed out the window -- trust, loyalty and dedication gone in one fell swoop.

The suspensions made him think about injured players sidelined not because of a selfish mistake but because of a tough break. In many ways, he said, he felt the entire program had been betrayed.

I kept prodding because I wanted to know why these players were putting themselves in compromising situations, and why they were getting busted so often.

Was it the overwhelming pressure to be part of an overwhelming social scene?

Was it a general sense of entitlement felt by these teenagers, a sense of invulnerability telling them they can get away with anything with no ramifications? A belief their athletic ability would bail them out of trouble?

Was it a Zero Tolerance "wrong place at the wrong time" situation, the kind where the closer-to-innocent athlete finds himself not drinking at a busted party where others are imbibing?

Was enforcement an issue? Are the police and school administrators acting more aggressively in their attempts to squelch the parties?

Are athletes thrust to the forefront of the issue simply because there is an athletic code? Are they merely a small portion of a larger issue among teenagers?

Did the athletes fully understand the ramifications their actions might have?

Were the athletes more upset about being caught, or were they sincerely remorseful about their actions?

Will it now be harder to trust these athletes?

Will we be seeing more athletes suspended in the future?

"Yes," he said.