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Sports

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297-lb Texas Boy Too Big To Play Peewee Football

August 17th, 2012 4:00 am Associated Press

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — A suburban Dallas boy has been barred from playing peewee football because the league says he is just too big at nearly 300 pounds.

Mesquite Pee Wee Football Association President Ronnie Henderson said the rules are clear and 12-year-old Elijah Earnheart is not eligible. The 6-foot-1-inch boy exceeds the 135-pound limit for seventh-graders, and he got the bad news last Sunday when the league held its official weigh-in.

Henderson said he asked Elijah whether he was in sixth or seventh grade, then told him “no need going” any further.

Cindy Earnheart, the boy’s mother, said she was incensed and Elijah was humiliated.

“They would not even let him weigh in on the scales like every single boy out there,” she said. “He might be the size of a grown man but he’s 12 years old and he has feelings, too.”

Elijah, who describes himself as a “gentle giant” and dreams of someday playing pro football, said the turn of events was unfair.

“I’m not sad, I’m mad that I don’t get to play,” Elijah said. “I’ve been practicing for three weeks.”

Henderson said three other boys were turned away that day because of safety concerns for other players.

“We’ve got little boys that play against him that are 85, 95 and 100 pounds,” Henderson said. “We have to look out for all the kids, not just him.”

Cindy Earnheart said her son was feeling self-conscious about his size until he discovered peewee football. His barber happened to coach a team, the Mesquite Vikings, and suggested the boy join. Coach Marc Wright said a passage in the rulebook seemed to indicate that youths who weigh more than 135 pounds could play, but only on the offensive or defensive line.

At his physical last month, Elijah’s doctor said he weighed 297 pounds and stood 6-feet-1½ inches tall. His mother said they special-ordered his helmet, shoulder pads, pants and jersey because of his size, which she said is hereditary in her family.

Elijah took the practice field, looming over boys more than half his size, and was thrilled..

When he’s playing football Elijah said, “I feel energetic. I feel happy.”

He practiced with the Vikings for three weeks and even took part in a scrimmage. Then came the weigh-in.

Henderson said the exception in the rulebook was meant for sixth-graders who can weigh as much as 160 pounds. He suggested Elijah play for his middle school team, but the boy doesn’t have much football experience and was hoping to feel his way in peewee first.

Cindy Earnheart said barring her son was discrimination.

“No one is telling boys who are too thin or too small that they can’t play football,” she said. “Why tell my kid he’s too big?

She added: “Isn’t bigger better in football? Football is a contact sport. If you don’t want your son tackled, get him off the field.”



  • http://profile.yahoo.com/73K3RFNAM67PG4L5DOKSRIMRMI Roger

    This kid’s mother needs to sign her Baby Huey up to play with some bigger kids. Wrestling and boxing, for example, have weight classes precisely because size matters when it comes to safety regardless of age. Let her start a league for kids that weigh over 200lbs.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/7ATNLEKCQQDD6HBSCKTFGZIKXA leave me alone( thats whut peo

      They call that the NFL…lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/ATacoShipOnASeaOfJalapenoWhiteSauce Dennis J. Hassell

    The indignant mother’s arguments are specious. Ask her why her12 year old boy weighs 297 pounds. It’s not just genetics, it’s jelly rolls. And his own health should be included in the concerns.

    It is also interesting, at least to me, that society via the media has not addressing the seeming epidemic of injuries in the NFL. I should like to see stats on the number of work/training days lost to injury, on average, per player and per team. Is the media agreeing to a conspiracy of silence.

  • Tinkersgirl

    This lady needs to be taken out back an slapped. I absolutely despise idiots that sit there and argue a point that is already written on paper. If she had 1/2 a brain she’d of read that he is too big..but nope..they just ignore it and then complain when it is shown as a rule breaker…she don’t need kids..she needs a straight jacket.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1492177414 John Daniels

      If you read correctly, they felt there was an exception to the rule which would allow him to play. Simply being big is not indicative of his skill or ability to compete in the sport. Those of you saying he should go play with older and bigger kids are not thinking of this boy’s safety. Without the requisite skill level and understanding of the fundamentals, this boy could be seriously injured by someone 2 or 3 years his senior. While size is good, it is speed along with it that allows for the dramatic impacts. I’ve coached kids this age and most of the bigger ones aren’t very good or effective. They can’t move well and unless you run into them, aren’t going to touch anyone. However, a kid half their size with speed can deliver devastating hits, even at the 12-15 year old range. Same reason you don’t see many of any 400lb men in the NFL. They want big men who can move, not just big men.

      • mpg54

        I understand that John, but a 297 pound kid falling on a 80 pound kid, the outcome is not going to be pretty. If the kid is actually agile it’s then going to be even worse. He can wait till HS, at that point the kids are strong enough to push him off, and as you have said, the size will not be an issue. I would tell his mother that playing Peewee football won’t matter. High School is more than enough time for him to develop all the skills he’ll need. There NO advantage to playing Peewee, ZERO. If he wants to play eventually then he should do a sport that develops his agility until he reaches HS. Play Soccer until HS, it will only help him lose the excess weight and the best FB players can all run like deer.

  • little miss Red Deer

    This mother isn’t thinking about the injuries that can be inflicted by her son that is double the weight of the other sixth-grade boys. Get him active in a different sport or a higher league in which to play.

  • http://www.facebook.com/michael.anderson.56027281 Michael Anderson

    You don’t like the rules, take your Jelly donut and go home!

  • rick cornitcher

    You can’t be serious!? The rules are the rules! I remember when I played I missed a game because I was 2lbs overweight……It’s a weight-league!

  • jagroff

    The reason the kid cant play is that if he falls on a kid, he could kill him. The safety of every kid in the league comes before the feelings of on kid.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/F22W6IKUPCLC76UXRTNNEEJZYA Chad

    I agrere what a DUMB A.. 6 ft. 1 and 300? Lady maybe u should sign him up to play for a pro team at that size.

  • http://twitter.com/ehmacd Adam

    The comments on this post are absolutely disgusting and you should all be ashamed of yourself. This kid, who clearly had little in the ways of good guidance when it came to eating habits growing up, finally finds a sport that he can play, enjoy, and possibly even excel at while losing some of that weight and turning his life around. But no, instead of having the slightest bit of sympathy for this kid, you’re all quick to say too bad, so sad.

    So how about instead of being so quick to turn him away we try and figure out a way to let this kid play football? Let him practice with the PeeWee squad till he gets a grasp of the game and then move him to middle school.

    What does football teach a kid? Discipline, the importance of a good diet and exercise, a feeling of belonging and comradery, and self respect.

    That sounds like a pretty damn good list of things that could turn an obese kids life in the right direction.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/WFIFZE2DK32D26WWBEPDDLP3HA A Yahoo! user

    I feel realy bad for this boy who so wants to play but you can not have three hundred pounds landing on 100 pound kids,it could kill them. maybe some how he could play at practice and just not land on any smaller kids so he could learn. his size probably makes him eligeable for college teams if he already knew how to play.

  • frank peters

    sorry sports are meant for kids,keep him out of sports and put him on the street with a gun,i was smaller ,loved the challenge of playing against the big boys.age is what matters,think all you alto,egos need to adjust the rules here,if your kid is small and goes to the nfl and meets a 400 pound player,do you think he s too big because your kid weighs in at 185,live in the real world not a glass dome.a kid grows to what size he grows too,maybe he is too big to attend school too.get real,only in stupid usa would this happen.sue the league.kids get to play ,no matter what size.

  • kaqbat

    I feel for this kid. I was also very tall and big at his age, and I hurt several girls playing basketball and field hockey. (Unintentionally.)

    A flag football/no contact team might be a good compromise. That way he could gain the skills and experience to match his size.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Smith/100003026114865 John Smith

    Apparently, many people are too stupid to be concerned about the other kids, those who might be hurt by an oversized player. They’re more concerned with seeing a team win, with setting records, than with seeing kids have fun.

    If he’s that big, make him play with older kids.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/S6RHYWXMVOTWJASDVO5HCOANYU Ian

    Amazing how she could think that the rule doesn’t apply to her. Shame on the coach as well – he should have known. This is indicative of our society though, where rules are meant for others and if it is enforced on me, well, I’ve been discriminated against.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=48904325 Justin Nanu

    That last comment was ridiculous. Yes, football is a contact sport. And yes, if you don’t want your child playing a sport with the potential for injury, take him off the field. But in no reasonable world can a parent be expected to allow their child to play against a boy 200% larger than them. Allowing this kid to play would be akin to allowing a 700 pound man to line up across from Drew Brees. I know it’s an absurd comparison, but does anybody believe that NFL owners would allow their $30 million 200lb QBs dropping back against a 700lb defensive lineman? Put the kid on a rep team. Experience or not, his size alone will make him good at that level. The experience will come.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/MUFWKTH7RUP7576IEFKL5QVYFQ Rodney

    all of you are DICKHEADS.. but make good points:p.. safety first, no honey i blew up the kids

  • 12CHITOWN09

    BUT I BET IF IT WAS BASKETBALL AT HIS SIZE 6 Feet no one would complain…And hasn’t anyone ever heard size don’t matter…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeffrey-Ball/100000284109495 Jeffrey Ball

    This kid’s mother should worry less about his playing pee wee football and more about the kid’s long-term health. Start feeding him more salads and encouraging him to walk to and from places and feeding him less fried chicken and watermelon.

  • Keith Jeffery

    I have always been bigger than my classmates, as a 6th grader I was bigger than every kid and every teacher at my school. The answer was I was given a waiver to go play at the Jr. High that had no weight restrictions, my mom had a flippen fit but my dad (God rest his soul) sat me down and asked me did I want to play with the older kids & I said yes, so he signed the waiver and I never looked back. When my classmates got to High school I was already on varsity and played there from 9th grade on, I actually was ahead of my classmates by two seasons when they finally got to high school, the kid needs to move up to the next level, “END OF STORY”

  • Joe Cane

    That’s bull. This is all about the other parents wanting their kids to be able to celebrate their mediocrity. Put the kid on the line.

  • http://www.facebook.com/douglas.hamer Douglas Hamer

    Wait it said he can play if he plays on the scrimmage line? So what’s the problem, did the boy want to play wideout or something lol?

    Ah- I see, the only way he can play is against middle schoolers. Well, time to saddle up and starting crushing kids 3 years older junior.

  • http://www.facebook.com/david.j.kilgore David Kilgore Jr

    The rule is in place to protect all the children. At that size he is bigger than some NFL players and could seriously injure or even kill someones 85-130 pound child. Listening to his mothers comments she obviously dont care about the other childrens safety.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/SCEGIAQPZ7D5NVJCCPYCQHNMQQ Frankie Doodle Dandy

    of course he’s too big. He is bigger than most grown men. Its sad but true.

  • http://www.facebook.com/warren.george.98 Warren Twocock

    Quite frankly I think the parent should be more concerned about having a 12 year old that ways almost 300 pounds than whether that child is being discrimated against.

  • bvierra

    This is without a doubt a safety concern. Is it unfortunate? Yes, but you cannot have someone that is three times bigger than just about everyone else playing a contact sport with them at his age.

    Had this been baseball or basketball, some other non contact sport I can understand the outrage, but at his size going against people that are < 100 lbs he could literally kill someone.

    Give him a few years, the freshman coaches will love to have him on the line, you can pretty much guarantee that he will start.

    If his mother was smart she would be talking to the HS coaches about getting him practicing either with the team or with a side coach now so that he has the extra edge.

  • easylivin

    Slap his parents across the head for letting him get that big.

  • almostretired3535

    The mom just doesn’t get it. Her son is 300 lbs! That is not ‘hereditary’ for a 12 year old boy. That is highly unusual and it is dangerous to let him play football with other 12 year old kids. The boy has the the strength and size of a grown man. The pee wee league made the right call on this one. If the boy really wants to play football, he should take do what it takes to get his weight down according to the rules or he can wait and play in high school. The mother need to realize that no one will risk hurting their kid just to make her son’s dreams come true.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jimmysticks90 ‘Jimmy DeMar Morrison

    Pretty simply, as the guy said, ““We’ve got little boys that play against him that are 85, 95 and 100 pounds….We have to look out for all the kids, not just him.” It isnt discrimination as its there for protection not isolation. He can play high school ball, nullyfying the exclusion. I play football here in Aus and i wasn’t big enough to play so i trained a season in a younger grade because i also had no exp….this guy has to take the same route…tough luck champ

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KRFJ2SAPMGN6AL66POJTPIVYDE Brad

    In our league, any kid can play. But anyone over a certain weight has to play on the line. We have seen several man childs over the years and noone has ever been hurt. None of them can move very well at the age and size. We simply don’t block them and run to a different hole.

    I am all for following rules, but this rule does not serve a purpose and should be changed.

  • http://www.strikespots.com/ Adam

    He’s 6’1″. He’s nearly 300 pounds. If that kid doesn’t have an overactive pituitary gland, and he probably doesn’t, the kid should be looking at dropping at least 100 pounds.