Darren Sproles Got Blown Up By A Vicious, Illegal Hit While Fielding A Punt

Being a punt returner in the NFL can be a dangerous venture, but it should never be like this. Early in the fourth quarter during Sunday’s game between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles, Darren Sproles was back to receive a punt and, as he was moving toward fielding the ball, the diminutive running back was blasted by Redskins safety Deshazor Everett.

As you can see above, Sproles was crushed by the early timing of the hit and, as you might expect, Everett was quickly flagged for a personal foul. Immediately following the play, a scrum broke out between the two teams, as members of the Eagles came to the defense of their teammate while Sproles remained on the turf for an extended period of time.

The entire scene can be found here:

While Everett was trying to (perfectly) time a hit in the same way that any special teams gunner would like to do to make a highlight play, this is the type of uber-dangerous hit that can badly hurt a player that is in a very defenseless position. You can bet that the NFL will have a close eye on what transpired.