There is no doubt the Colquitt County Packer head coach Rush Propst is a polarizing figure in South Georgia football. However, when he became the victim of a power move by the Georgia Performance Standards Commission, seemingly everyone rallied around him.
In December 2015, the Colquitt County Packers were en route t0 their 30-0 mark and the second of back-to-back state championships. A heated semi-final contest with Mill Creek High School had everyone on edge, including Propst. During a timeout, Propst sensed a lapse in effort by his team and attempted to fire them up by headbutting kicker Lou Martinez, who was wearing his helmet. After the headbutt, GPB cameras focused on Propst, who was bleeding profusely from his forehead. Propst, in a halftime interview, related his headbutt to Georgia Southern legend Erk Russell, who used similar tactics.
The headbutt became an internet sensation shortly after the game but died down after the Packers’ state championship win.
Flash forward to June of 2016: Propst and the Packers were preparing like every other team for the 2016 season when Propst received a call from the Georgia Performance Standards Commission. Upon receiving the call, Propst was notified that he would be suspended the entire 2016 season for the headbutt in the 2015 playoffs.
After word got out about the suspension, the entire South Georgia football community rallied around Propst and demanded the suspension be lifted.
In this article, Jacob Dennis focuses on how this ruling reflects the cultural change of high school athletics and how a South Georgia community rallied around a beloved coach.
To view Rush Propst’s full, story click here.
Quote: “Would we be discussing Propst’s suspension if Colquitt County had gone 16-14 over the last two years instead of 30-0? Would we even be talking about this at all if Propst didn’t already have a negative image in the media due to past events which have nothing to do with this incident? These points can be debated, but the answers are “no,” “no,” and “no.” No professional organization would waste time and delay handing down such a harsh punishment, and we most definitely would not be discussing this incident today if the Packers head coach wasn’t a controversial figure with back-to-back state titles under his belt.”
In the Game Sports Network / South Georgia Magazine / June – 2016
Rush Propst / Colquitt County High School
#1 Top Story of the Year Football Under Fire: How the Propst Ruling Reflects Cultural Change
Written by Jacob Dennis
Summarized by Zack Pine
Photo by Marque Milla Reese
Published in the August 2016 Edition
