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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Scott Drawing Praise For Sportsmanship, Awareness
11/3/2009 | Football
From AP and staff reports
Two days after suffering a neck injury against Ole Miss, Auburn safety Zac Etheridge was released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, and that news is especially meaningful for Rebel running back Rodney Scott.
Etheridge was hurt when he collided headfirst with teammate Antonio Coleman early in the game while they were trying to tackle Scott.
When the collision occurred, Scott made the split-second decision to stay still underneath the unconscious player rather than force his way off the ground, which is generally a player's inclination. Scott did not move for almost 10 minutes while the medical personnel attended to the injured Tiger defensive back.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik hailed Scott after the game for his actions that he said may have saved Etheridge from more serious injury.
"It was one of the most amazing things I've seen," Chizik said. "I have to give that young man a lot of credit. I don't know how he knew, but he knew he couldn't move. He sat as still as the night, lying right underneath him. It was one of the most phenomenal things I've witnessed in doing this."
Scott said he first tried to move with Etheridge on top of him, but it quickly became apparent the player was seriously injured and unresponsive.
"There are a bunch of feelings going through my mind," Scott told reporters. "I was thinking about it all day. If I had moved, he could have been paralyzed. There is just a lot of stuff going through my mind."
Rebels' coach Houston Nutt said he was taken by surprise by Scott's level of maturity in the situation.
"What I couldn't believe was that Rodney, as a freshmen, had the presence of mind to not shove the guy a little bit so he could get up and get back in the huddle," Nutt said. "We are always coaching to get off the ground and get back in the huddle. It was really a miracle that he didn't push the guy out of the way like we normally do. I was just really proud of the way he handled that."
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Cross City, Fla., native said he's been getting a lot of congratulatory notes on his Facebook account, while Ole Miss athletics director Pete Boone has received over 50 emails thanking Scott for his decision and his display of good sportsmanship.
"I have heard from (Auburn athletics director) Jay Jacobs and a multitude of Auburn fans praising Rodney for his sensitivity and awareness of a possible severe injury for Zac," Boone said. "I join the Ole Miss family with pride for the maturity and wisdom of a young man in a potentially dangerous situation."
