As a die-hard UT Orangeblood, I'm relishing the upcoming college football season. I really think the Horns have a great chance to win the National Championship.
One of the reasons is Sergio Kindle, the lynchpin of the D and another in a long line of great linebackers in the Mack Brown era. D-Coordinator Will Muschamp has taken Kindle's game to another level, and he's an absolute beast!
But, last week, Kindle got involved in an incident that makes me question whether the team and fans can depend on him. Read more about it in the Dallas Morning News at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/texas/stories/063009dnspo.3f30f27.html. Columnist Kevin Sherrington also has a good commentary at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/ksherrington/stories/063009dnsposherrington.3f25804.html
Last Wednesday at about 3 am, he was texting while driving, hit a curb, and crashed into the bedroom of an apartment. Luckily, no one was in the apartment, and Kindle's passenger suffered no injuries. Kindle, however, apparently suffered a concussion. He left the scene, went home, and went to bed. Police later caught up with him, but no charges have been filed.
I don't want to blow this out of proportion. A 20-ish year old kid did something stupid, he wasn't thinking straight due to his concussion, panicked and fled the scene of an accident. He probably won't get into trouble with the law, because leaving the scene is against the law only when a moving vehicle or pedestrian is involved, not a stationary object. However, according to the roommate of the person who's bedroom Kindle hit, if she had been sitting at her desk at the time of the accident, she would have been killed.
Sergio, let that sink in for a minute. Son, do you realize how lucky you are? I don't begrudge anyone for having a good time and letting off some steam. And, no one is saying you were drunk or anything. But, c'mon man, what the hell were you doing out at 3am? Haven't you heard the old saying about nothing good happening after midnight? Don't you have a workout or something to get to in the morning?
Furthermore, you should already have learned your lesson. Two years ago you were arrested for DUI after being out after 2am. And now this?
You gotta know Coach Brown and Strength and Conditioning coach Jeff "Mad Dog" Madden are going to make you run steps and windsprints until you puke, and maybe suspend you for a meaningless non-conference game or two. But, one incident is a habit, two is a pattern. Sergio, please use your head for something besides a hatrack! Realize that you have a greater responsibility to your teammates. You are a leader, so you have to lead by example. You can't afford screw-ups like this!
Let this also be a lesson for the rest of us: please don't text when you're driving. I know, we've all done it, but how many close calls have we had? If it's that important, pull over. If not, wait until you get to where you're going. We can wait a few minutes. A text isn't as important as someone's life?
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