Last August, high school football official Trae Cardwell was hit and clotheslined by a head coach, resulting in hospitalization and breathing issues. The incident has now led to a six-figure settlement for Cardwell, who has claimed health issues from the hit.
On Friday, Cardwell dropped his lawsuit after reaching a $122,500 settlement with the Metro Nashville School District.
While officiating a high school game in Nashville on Aug. 19, 2022, Cardwell was running down the field during a punt when he ran into the outstretched arm of Hunters Lane head coach William Thomas.
Cardwell claims to have suffered an injured trachea from the hit and he spent four days in the hospital following the game. The contact between Cardwell and the coach happened when Thomas had stepped out from the sideline to point out something on the field.
That’s when his arm made contact with Cardwell, who was running down the field and appeared to not see Thomas’ out-stretched arm. Thomas has consistently maintained that he did not mean to make contact with Cardwell and had no intention of doing so.
The official laid on the field for several moments to recover and would eventually return to the game. When he was at home that night, he developed a breathing problem and was taken to the hospital.
