On Thursday, a little-known football player from the University of Georgia unintentionally gained attention, costing his team 15 crucial yards and securing a place in social media annals.
Redshirt cornerback sophomore Early in the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Parker Jones made a crucial play in favor of the rival Notre Dame, and despite not wearing pads on Thursday, he was still trending online Friday morning.
Arian Smith and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton connected for a 67-yard bomb that went all the way to the Irish 11-yard line.
Inside a clearly marked white lane that runs out of bounds, along the sidelines, that is supposed to be clear of any players, side judge JB Garza collided with Parker, who was not wearing a Georgia jersey but was still wearing a red one, as the official chased after Smith and Irish defender Xavier Watts.
The drive halted at the Notre Dame 26 when the Dawgs were called for 15 yards. Peyton Woodring’s 41-yard field goal was Georgia’s last option after runs of 2 and 1 yards preceded an incomplete throw.
That play was described as “very unfortunate” and a “self-imposed” wound by Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
“The officials are the only ones allowed to wear white. After the game, Smart stated, “That raises safety concerns.” “We didn’t capitalize on the fact that we still had first-and-ten. But once more, I refer to those things as self-inflicted, undisciplined wounds that you know cause you to lose momentum.
It’s impossible to say whether Georgia could have converted a first-and-ten from the eleventh yard line. Furthermore, Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory in the College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal game most likely had nothing to do with those lost points.
Nevertheless, Jones appeared to receive the same punishment as Steve Bartman for his unintentional mistake.
Dave Portnoy, the creator of Barstool Sports and the leader of the online pitchfork brigade, stated on Thursday, “If Parker Jones had a sense of the moment, he’d wear a fake mustache when he comes out for the second half.”
Although Parker was the subject of a global network of jokes, a sizable portion of online users defended him by arguing that ESPN cameras shouldn’t have spent so much time on him following the play.
Trent Read, who owns a business appraisal firm in Utah, defended Parker right away in an X reaction that, by Friday morning, had received over 80,000 views.
“To take some poor scrub who is not even suited up, beyond having his jersey on, and to make him infamous and compare him to(Cubs fan Steve) Bartmanis just over the top,” Read stated to NBC News on Friday.
“They didn’t actually lose by four points. And you might say, ‘Oh, the momentum would have been so different.’ They didn’t swing the momentum during the entire game. Trying to place a whole bunch of blame on this kid is unwarranted.”
Jones is listed as a 5-foot-11 cornerback from Albany, Georgia, who attended Deerfield-Windsor School. There are no statistics available for him.
The student-athlete could not be immediately reached for comment. His father told NBC News on Friday that his son and no one else in the family would comment publicly about the sideline incident.
Thursday’s sideline incident was the second time this season a backup player drew Smart’s ire for action that was not between the lines.
Smart lashed out at backup safety Jake Pope, calling him an idiot, after cameras appeared to catch the player in post-game celebration with Mississippi fans after aRebels win over the Bulldogs.
Pope apologized and explained he was just excited tounexpectedly run into old friends, while a contrite Smart said he shouldn’t have called hisplayer an “idiot.”
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