An Eastern Carolina player was sent to a hospital after a collision on Saturday — but the injury was not caused by another player.
In between plays during the Pirates’ 17-9 win over Temple at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, an official collided with ECU safety David Coleman Jr. in a wild scene.
As the Pirates’ defense was setting up its formation, the referee slipped and fell into Coleman while running closer to the play.
The official collided straight into Coleman’s right leg, and the defensive back had to be helped off the field before being taken to the hospital, according to the ESPN broadcast.
The situation is unfortunate for Coleman, who entered Saturday’s game with six tackles in three appearances this year.
Though exact details of his injury and return timeline remain unclear, it’s likely that Coleman suffered a fractured fibula from the accident, On3 reported.
Eastern Carolina’s victory over Temple marked its fourth of the season, as the Pirates look to bounce back from a relatively disappointing start to the 2026 college football season.
When speaking to reporters earlier this week, Pirates head coach Blake Harrell admitted that the team had a “tough two weeks,” suffering overtime losses to Alabama-Birmingham and Memphis.
“Two weeks that are disappointing. Two weeks that we would love to have back,” Harrell said Monday. “But doesn’t mean that I’m not going to get up and get out of bed and keep fighting for this university.
“To keep fighting for Pirate Nation, a place that I get to come to work, I get to be a part of, and that’s been special over the last two years.”
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