A video showing Idaho State University head football coach Mike Kramer shoving wide receiver Derek Graves to the ground during an Oct. 3 practice is gaining national attention.
The 22-second clip was posted on ESPN.com Tuesday night. Graves could not be reached for comment by the Journal but he told ESPN that he’s suffered from neck spasms since the shoving incident.
In the video clip, obtained by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” Kramer is shown running across the field at Holt Arena toward Graves and apparently shoving him to the ground. The force from the shove knocked Graves backward about two yards, causing him to lose his footing and fall to the turf. Graves immediately gets off the ground at the end of the video.
“I’ve seen Kramer get in guys’ faces and curse them, but never saw him do anything like this or put his hands on anyone,” Graves said in an interview with the program. “I was humiliated at the moment. If I retaliate, I could lose my senior season. If I didn’t do anything, I would look like a punk. It was a no-win situation.”
Graves told ESPN he reported the incident to Pocatello police on Sunday.
The behavior in the tape has led to an investigation by the Pocatello Police Department and ISU campus police, according to ESPN. Pocatello Police Chief Scott Marchand could not be reached Tuesday regarding the incident.
Pocatello police have not provided any news releases about the incident since it was reported to them Sunday.
According to the story on ESPN.com, the entire incident was sparked during one-on-one drills when Graves preferred to run the drill against one of the Bengals’ experienced cornerbacks instead of a freshman.
When Graves motioned to another player to face him Kramer ran across the field and, Graves said, used profanity against him before shoving him to the ground. Graves told ESPN that Kramer again used profanity against him after the shove.
Graves told ESPN that since the incident he has suffered from neck spasms and has not been cleared to practice or play by the ISU medical staff. He hasn’t played in a game since the Sept. 29 contest against Sacramento State, a 54-31 Bengal loss. Graves has recorded 36 catches on the season including back-to-back 15 catch efforts against Air Force and Black Hills State.
ISU Athletic Director Jeff Tingey declined to comment about the shoving incident.
“University personnel do no comment on these issues,” Tingey said. “As a whole we don’t comment on personnel issues. There’s an ongoing investigation and we can’t comment.”
Tingey also would not comment when asked if Kramer’s apparent behavior on the video — shoving a player — was unusual for a coach.
According to the ESPN story, Graves and his family retained the services of Alabama attorney Don Jackson, who in turn notified ISU President Arthur Vailas and Tingey about the incident.
Tingey said it would be up to Kramer if he wanted to comment on the incident.
“I can’t speak for Coach Kramer,” Tingey said.
The coach did not make any mention of the incident during his Tuesday afternoon press conference. Kramer did not provide any statements to the media after the story broke on Tuesday.
Kramer is in his second year at the helm of the ISU football team and has recorded a 3-14 record. He is 1-5 so far this season.
ISU officials said the university has brought in an independent third party — a former federal law enforcement officer — to investigate the shoving incident. This is in addition to the investigation by Pocatello police and campus police.
ISU officials said any decision on disciplinary action against Kramer would have to wait until after the outcome of the police investigation.
(13) comments
I have to agree with Tamstarr, what we have here is a punked athlete who is looking for a handout. A football player, especially when dressed for full contact is highly unlikely to receive injuries from a push. I'm sure this individual when catching passes in a game situation has been knocked to the ground much more severely when tackled versus a push from his Coach. Had he listened to the coaches direction, instead of disputing what he was told none of this would be an issue.
Lets look at the FACTS here: the kid finished practice that day, he practiced the next day too, HE HAS BEEN CLEARED to play, he acts like a THUG and was PUNKD in front of his team, he contacted a attorney in Alabama before the police, he was partying like a ROCKSTAR Saturday night, his own teammates are against him, slap Kramer on the wrist and tell him no more and get this THUG out of town ASAP. He was worried about being a PUNK, but he looks like a COMPLETE FOOL.
I am afraid this is going to turn out tragic for Kramer and for the university. Graves' lawyer in Alabama is making a lot of statements
to the press that appeared today in press releases around the country that the University is at fault for hiring Kramer because of his sketchy background and problems that he had before which make him unstable to coach. No doubt they are looking a big money settlement against the University which will result in Kramer's
dismissal.
This will be a real boon to recruiting. "And have you seen the video of our coach attacking his players in practice? It's on national television, you'll love it."
and the wussification of american society continues...
What this is all about is a coach being a bully. He needs anger management classes not jail-time. His punishment should be having to watch 'Bully" the movie ten times. Do you honestly think this was the first time? Sometimes as human beings we have to be "told" that our behavior is just not acceptable. This isn't the military we are talking about. Drill Sargent in your face and slapping you on the side of your helmet. When we look the other way, we are enabling the bully to continue to do what he thinks will motivate a player. Put fear in him to produce. How many of his players will not step up and support the player knocked down? Out of fear. That they might be next.
You can certainly state that the player should not have been injured given the protection worn and the force used by the coach. Overall, however, should a coach have the right to push or hit a player? As a teacher, can I hit a student who doesn't do what I say? How about if I only hit the student a little, is that okay?
A football player, dressed in full regalia, is told to practice a play with another player. He decides he knows better than the coach and calls over a different player. Coach gets mad and pushes him. Player falls over, wearing pads, helmet, etc. and then complains the coach hurt him. Hmmm, football player wearing pads and helmet. Wonder what would have happened in a game? What do you bet there is a lawsuit for money soon following.
well it has to start somewhere might as well be the Pocatello police department. The Pocatello police get tired of taking little puppies away from crying little kids and then telling the kids that the pound killed their puppy just to see the expression on the little kids faces before they break into sobs. All in a day's work.
Now an investigation like this puts some real meat on the bone.
Dereck Graves has got his mamma in on this, and you know she is not going to stand for any teacher to put his hands on her little boy.
So what if Graves fumbled the ball on the sacramento forty yard line that cost the Bengals the lead going into the half. That is no excuse for Kramer to lose his temper when Graves has been told a hundred times to catch the ball with two hands. Oh well.
You can bet the Pocatello Police are going to love this one.
I can just see all 500 armed and helmeted Pocatello police heading for the Holt arena with battering rams getting in for a look on the closed practices.
Now Penn State had a real scandal. ISU is just small time all the way around. I mean Montana had the best scandal thus far this year. ISU just comes up with nit picky little stuff. Are you sure Graves didn't do more than just talk back. Tell Kramer where to put it???
This is really boring. I got to get ready to head to Greeley for the
Big Game.
"Hilda when are you going to let that boy of yourn grow up and act like a man. He the one wants ter play fussball. It ain't no girls game. Now you let em alone an jus min yer own business.
well said maggie6..i like the last part ;)
"Hilda when are you going to let that boy of yourn grow up and act like a man. He the one wants ter play fussball. It ain't no girls game. Now you let em alone an jus min yer own business."
I dont think the coach had the right to put his hands on the player I think this whole think is being blown out of proportion players get hit hard than that in a game and dont substain those kind of injuries they need to just kiss and make up..
Kids these days are a bunch of softies..and big cry babies..
kiss and make up sounds good..and it is being blown out of proportion..that player is healthy and seen him partying this past weekend.."some" of these ISU players just need to man up and stop crying..yelling and shoving and pushing goes hand in hand with football..coaches always used to tell me "if you're going to cry now is the time to go back to mama"..if he thought that was worst then cry me a river..its a lot worst in bootcamp..go back to mama Graves..what a wuss!
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