How do you tell an eight-year-old not to score a touchdown after you've been coaching him to take it to the house every chance you get all season?
Well, unfortunately for Brooke Burdett, head coach of the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Black Knights, one pee-wee league touchdown will cost him $500 and a week-long suspension.
The play in question occurred with the Black Knights leading 32-0 and Burdett's eight-year-old son, Elijah, tacked on a pick-six score to make it 38-zip. The additional points put the Black Knights team over the 33-point mercy rule limit and that's when the accusations of piling it on began.
Burdett said running up the score was not intentional. On the next play they even tried to let the other team score but Burdett said they refused to catch the ball.
"We were all super excited,he was beyond excited and we were fined for it," Burdett told WGCL-TV about what should have been a proud moment for father and son.
"He had no idea. This is his first year. This was his first touchdown. He is an 8-year-old boy making a pick-six."
Erik Richards, president of the Gwinnett Football League told WGCL-TV that the team was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct for mocking the other players and running off the field.
"We were all super excited,he was beyond excited and we were fined for it," Burdett told WGCL-TV about what should have been a proud moment for father and son.
"He had no idea. This is his first year. This was his first touchdown. He is an 8-year-old boy making a pick-six."
Erik Richards, president of the Gwinnett Football League told WGCL-TV that the team was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct for mocking the other players and running off the field.
Parents of the Black Knight youngsters — who have never been charged with unsportsmanlike conduct before — have offered to pitch-in and pay the fine together. They all stand by the account that the team was not trying to run up the score.
At least the expensive play still stands.
