Liz Condo-USA TODAY Sports
If you have been watching ESPN lately, you know that cheap shots are sprinkled all over the NFL. However, in the Clemson Tigers versus North Carolina State Wolfpack game on Thursday night, one player took cheap shot to an entirely new level. Clemson lineman Isaiah Battle took a serious cheap shot at N.C. State defensive back, Jarvis Byrd.
As you can see, the sophomore tackle delivered a devastating right hook that would likely make Floyd Mayweather proud. Byrd’s teammate responded by pointing at Battle, letting him know what he did was wrong. Wait, what?
Okay, I understand the kid didn’t want to get ejected by going after the guy who punched his teammate in the chin/face mask, but you have to somewhat defend your teammate after a dirty hit like that. At least tackle him — a legal hit. If this was the NFL, Battle would be fined $200,000 and suspended for weeks.
This is something you never want to see on a football field. If Battle wants to take up boxing, then by all means, do something you apparently love to do.
Clemson Head coach Dabo Swinney was not happy with the whole ordeal as the game was in hand and the Tigers were just winding the clock down. There was just under two minutes left in the game when this occurred and something must have been said to Battle that made him flip out in epic fashion. Swinney took the sophomore lineman out of the game and he will likely be suspended for a week or more.
While punching a player in the face mask doesn’t look like it would do much damage, it looks like the uppercut swing got Byrd in the chin as well.
Luckily no one was seriously hurt and Battle will — hopefully — be off the field for a couple weeks.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at .
