Twice in one year, Dave Ritchie has been knocked down on the sideline. The players near him are going to have ride shotgun for him. We gotta protect Coach. Keep the other team away from Coach.Coach concussed in sideline knockdown
Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, October 15, 2007
His team played nowhere close to lights out, but it's doubtful Lions defensive coach Dave Ritchie will remember much of it anyway.
The big buzz of Saturday afternoon's game against the Edmonton Eskimos was registered on the sidelines, when Ritchie was wiped out in the fourth quarter in a collision with receiver Jason Tucker, who had been chased out of bounds by B.C. defensive back Mark Washington.
Ritchie, 69, crashed to the ground and was out cold for several minutes, which forced officials to stop the game.
Later, the coach with the rebuilt ticker (Ritchie underwent heart bypass surgery in 2004) admitted he hadn't been hit that hard since his last year of collegiate football. That was in 1960, with the Cincinnati Bearcats, and Ritchie was wearing a helmet. His short-term memory, however, was lost in a fog following Saturday's hit.
"I don't remember a lot that happened at the end," admitted Ritchie, who was diagnosed with a concussion. "They hit me in the shin, and I conked my head when I fell. The doctor [Navin Prasad] said I blacked out. They said we won, so that's good."
The result of seeing their commander lying crumpled and inert had a brief paralysing effect on Lions defenders, borne out of concern for their coach's welfare and the momentary void in leadership.
"I was so scared," admitted defensive back Jerome Dennis. "He was face down, not moving. I was thinking, 'Coach, please, show us something.' "
Added cornerback LaVar Glover, whose two end-zone knockdowns later preserved the 24-18 victory, "That's the second time this season he's scared us like that, the way he fell, the fact he didn't get up quickly. We really had to work hard to keep our focus on the field."
sixbeamers@aol.com
It should be part of the play package. Cover 2. Sam LB blitz. Who's got Coach? Knowlton you got Coach covered.
Glad to hear he is OK.
I hope he coaches forever with the Lions.
To Coach Ritchie.
