Arkansas State Player Pretends To Die On Fake Punt, For Some Reason
This happened during Saturday’s game between Arkansas State and Miami. I know nothing else about why it happened or who is responsible for it happening, but I feel it’s better that way. Let’s not worry about details, and instead just enjoy this GIF, courtesy of our friends at Vice Sports.
Sports are dumb and occasionally great.
Update: NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread got in touch with coach Blake Anderson, who explained what the hell was going on with this play:
First, it was designed, not improvised. Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said the Red Wolves practiced the play all week, and Mays got more and more convincing with his collapse as the week went on. Second, it was not only designed, but inspired. Anderson was on the North Carolina staff last year when the team decided to pull a prank on quarterback Bryn Renner. That prank, known as the “Fainting Goat,” in which all 22 players except Renner collapsed immediately after a snap during practice, has commanded more than a million hits on youtube.com. So here is the story of Saturday’s adaptation:
“Because of the formation we were in for that fake punt, Booker was covered up and couldn’t go downfield, or it would be a penalty,” Anderson told College Football 24/7. “So we said, ‘What do we want to do with him? Do we want to bubble him or peel him out?’ Someone said let’s just let him be a fainting goat. I loved it, so we just put that in. His job on that play was basically to not get a penalty by going downfield, because the fake was on the backside of the play. These kids have had five head coaches in five years, so we try to let them have fun.”
Playing for Arkansas State sounds like fun.
