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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Springville High football head coach Scott Mitchell said he was stunned to hear that a former teammate and now ESPN analyst, Lomas Brown, intentionally missed a block because he wanted Mitchell to get hurt.
In an interview on ESPN Radio, the former Detroit Lions offensive tackle said he was tired of Mitchell throwing interceptions against the Green Bay Packers and wanted to get him out of the game. As a result, Mitchell was injured and didn't play another down the 1994 season.
"We were getting beat, 24-3, at that time and he just stunk up the place," Brown said. "He's throwing interceptions, just everything. So I looked at Kevin Glover, our All-Pro center and I said, ‘Glove, that is it.' I said, ‘I'm getting him out the game.'
It just really hurt. It was extremely disappointing. I'm really shocked by it, to be honest. Here's a guy I've had in my house, I had a big dinner for the offensive linemen every year, he came to my house and ate dinner, I gave my offensive linemen gifts every year. For him to do that is just reprehensible, beyond words. It's really disappointing, it really is painful.
–Scott Mitchell
"So I got the gator arms on the guy at the last minute, he got around me, he hit Scott Mitchell, he did something to his finger … and he came out the game. (Lions backup quarterback) Dave Krieg came in the game."
Mitchell spoke to Mike Florio on the Dan Patrick Show about the comments, saying he was hurt and disappointed by what was said.
"It just really hurt," Mitchell said. "It was extremely disappointing. I'm really shocked by it, to be honest. Here's a guy I've had in my house, I had a big dinner for the offensive linemen every year, he came to my house and ate dinner, I gave my offensive linemen gifts every year. For him to do that is just reprehensible, beyond words. It's really disappointing, it really is painful.
"When you mess with my family, mess with my livelihood, mess with my health, it's unacceptable," Mitchell continued. "It's B.S. I just wouldn't do it to a teammate. I wouldn't do it. If Lomas has a problem with me, come talk to me. To try to get someone hurt, it's just mind-boggling."
Brown is part of a lawsuit against the NFL because he says the NFL didn't do enough to protect players from concussions. However, Brown finds no fault with his actions to allow a teammate to get hurt.
Mitchell played 11 season in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. In January, Mitchell resigned from his position as head coach at Springville to focus on his software company.
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