Football coach fired after suspended star plays in teammate’s uniform
A top-ranking St. Louis high school canceled its football season — and fired its entire coaching staff — in light of a student-athlete switcheroo on the gridiron.
The abrupt decision is the result of junior running back Bill Jackson suiting up for Cardinal Ritter College Prep’s Aug. 31 season opener under a different number and roster name — even though he was supposed to be suspended, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The squad went on to win against Nazareth Academy, 32-21, with Jackson — who played as the No. 24 freshman named Marvin Burks — rushing for 109 yards and scoring a 56-yard touchdown.
Now, school officials are scrambling to figure out how Jackson ended up on the field despite being ejected from a championship game the prior season, earning him a one-game suspension.
Jackson’s arm tattoos gave him away — they can be seen on the player in the No. 24 jersey during the game. At the matchup the following week, the junior donned his usual No. 4.
Cardinal Ritter president Tamiko Armstead released a statement Friday saying all of the football coaches have been “permanently released from Cardinal Ritter College Prep immediately” and that athletic director Preston Thomas “has made the decision to retire.”
The rest of the football season was also canceled, capping the Lions’ 7-0 run.
“The priority right now for Ms. Armstead is to walk through this difficult time with the community and students,” Peter Frangie, executive director of communications for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, told the Post-Dispatch.
Head coach Brandon Gregory claimed he didn’t know Jackson was suspended for the home opener, according to CBS Sports.
“That’s kind of my wrongdoing of not knowing the rules and that he shouldn’t have not sat out the jamboree, he should have sat out week one, so that’s what happened,” Gregory said.
The ousted coach also claimed Jackson wore a different jersey that game because “that’s a thing kids do on a regular basis, you know, they try to change jersey numbers and sometimes don’t let us know.”
Jackson’s mom, Cher Allen, said she worries how the scandal will impact her son’s chances of playing college ball. He was also hit with an eight-game suspension for his senior season.
“This is not about 2019,” Allen told local network KSDK. “This is about 2021, when he goes away to school. Then he has to look back on 2019 and say, ‘It’s still following me.’ Something is going to happen, whether the eight games get reversed or not. I would hope the college coaches would see this as a learning experience and take a chance on my son. His talent is there. He would be a great addition to any college team.”