Emmanuel Duron is a high school football player and wrestler at Edinburg, a South Texas High School. On Thursday, he went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Duron was ejected from a game against Pharr-San-Juan Alamo for a late hit and unsportsmanlike penalty.
He then ran back onto the field and slammed the official. Duron was escorted out of Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg by Edinburg PD officers while the official was evaluated in an ambulance for concussion symptoms.
The Monitor, a McCallen, TX newspaper, with the scary details:
…, Duron, the team’s star defender, was flagged on a play early during the second quarter after he shoved an opposing offensive lineman to the ground and attempted to make a tackle on PSJA High freshman quarterback Jaime Lopez after the whistle had blown the play dead.
Duron and referee Fred Garcia exchanged words after the play was over, and Garcia ejected Duron from the contest after back-to-back unsportsmanlike penalties on the same play.
Duron, who was leading the Bobcats in tackles (102) and sacks (eight) through four games, then charged onto the field as teammates raced after him in an attempt to hold him back. The senior defensive end collided with Garcia, checking him chest-to-chest at full speed and sending him to the turf.
Duron was escorted out from the stadium by a team of four Edinburg police officers who were working security for the game. He was not handcuffed, but was removed from the premises and did not return.
Garcia, 58, was helped off the field after a cart was driven onto the turf so medical personnel could assess the situation. He was taken to an ambulance outside of the stadium gates, where he was medically evaluated for a potential shoulder injury and concussion-like symptoms.
Garcia has been with the Texas Association of Sports Officials for 27 years.
Duron was suspended for the remainder of the 2019-20 soccer season after a similar incident occurred during a match on the pitch last year against crosstown rival Edinburg Vela.
Duron is a junior and was named The Monitor’s All-Area Boys Wrestler of the Year award in early 2020. He finished with a 44-8 record, going 4-2 at the state tournament.