Texas H.S. Football Coach Challenges Player To Wrestling Match

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CARROLLTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Off-season workouts for high school football players usually involve athletic young men eager to show off their abilities.

But at Hebron High School in the Lewisville Independent School District, a new technique was introduced when Head Coach Brian Brazil challenged one of his strongest, toughest players, Julian Harris to a wrestling match.

"I was surprised," Julian said. "When he called me out I was like 'is this for real?'"

In hindsight, Coach Brazil had the same thing in his mind. "I don't know what I was thinking. My wife wasn't real happy with me when she saw the video."

While Coach Brazil's wife was not happy, his players loved every minute of it!

Hebron High offensive lineman Antonio Montez said, "Coach Brazil was getting picked up by Julian Harris and he got slammed down by him and everyone went crazy."

Julian thought the move was a match changer. "When I slammed him I thought it was over," he said.

The move also impressed the coach. "He had me… threw me like a sack of potatoes, and I was like 'Wow!'"

But Antonio and the crowd of players were in for a surprise. "Something happened and Coach snapped, and drove him into the ground."

Julian felt the change too. "It was even until I slammed him, then he started going hard."

Brazil ultimately won the match. "It was a tough match," he said. "I thought he had me, but then I pinned him at the end."

The head coach believes the challenge will go a long way in building a foundation between him and his players. "Kids know we are a part of it."

While Coach Brazil showed he is with his players, he has also vowed that this will be the last time he wrestles to prove it… maybe because of the consequences. He said, "I was sore for three days after that."

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