Former Texas high school football player who once tackled referee avoids jail time

A former Texas high school football player who once tackled a referee will not be heading to jail.

Emmanuel Duron, now 22 years old, pleaded no contest to a series of charges stemming from an incident that took place on Dec. 3, 2020. According to CBS 4 in Rio Grande Valley, Duron received a “deferred adjudication, and will be ordered to serve one year of community supervision. During that time period, he is required to avoid places and people of harmful character, pay a fine and maintain employment, among other conditions.”

A senior defensive lineman at Edinburg High School (Edinburg, Texas) at the time of the incident, Duron was thrown out of a game against Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (San Juan, Texas) for unsportsmanlike conduct.

It was after that decision from referee Alfredo Gracia that Duron ran across the field at full steam. He proceeded to hit Gracia so hard that the referee immediately went to the turf.

Gracia filed a lawsuit two years later against the Rio Grande Texas Association of Sports Officials and the Southwest Officials Association. In the lawsuit, he cites “embarrassment, pain, and ongoing psychological and physical damage.”

Duron has other legal programs stemming from a February arrest for a separate alleged assault.