Reactions pour in after Ole Miss coach's head-turning testimony about new fathers during football season

Ole Miss backmost Trinidad Chambliss was awarded a sixth twelvemonth of eligibility by a Mississippi justice Thursday, but not earlier 1 of his coaches’ testimonies raised eyebrows.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss' quarterbacks coach, took the basal Thursday to sermon however important betterment is to athletes, considering 1 of Chambliss' arguments was that helium deserved a aesculapian redshirt for the 2022 play due to the fact that of a terrible lawsuit of tonsillitis that prevented him from sleeping decently and performing astatine afloat capacity.

Judge, who erstwhile gave a astir 12-minute reply during his tumultuous clip arsenic the New York Giants caput coach, past rambled astir however fathers who are athletes "got to person antithetic priorities" if they person a newborn during the season.

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Ole Miss caput manager of discourtesy and quarterbacks manager Joe Judge testifies during the proceeding of Ole Miss backmost Trinidad Chambliss successful his suit against the NCAA astatine Calhoun County Courthouse successful Pittsboro, Miss., connected Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

"This is ever a pugnacious speech to have, it’s not adjacent popular. We would person to amended important others who whitethorn person been large during the play oregon person a babe during the season, and you person to amended them on, ‘You person this babe successful the mediate of season, that begetter has to play bully football,'" Judge said.

"It’s a day-by-day accumulation business. He has to beryllium acceptable to execute and spell retired determination and play. And erstwhile I accidental that is, you request to fto him sleep, helium needs to beryllium successful different country detached. You person to explicate to the parent like, ‘Hey, listen, helium ain’t waking up for midnight feedings. 

"After the season, he’s afloat metallic jacket. You bash immoderate you privation with him. He tin alteration each diaper. But successful season, he’s got to person antithetic priorities.’"

Reactions were beardown against Judge.

"I wouldn’t urge sending your sons to play nether this benignant of leadership. Good coaches cognize they aren’t conscionable processing athletes but aboriginal husbands, wives, dads, moms and leaders beyond the value country and competition," 1 X idiosyncratic wrote.

Mississippi Rebels quarterbacks manager Joe Judge with backmost Trinidad Chambliss (6) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal crippled of the College Football Playoff astatine State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

OLE MISS QUARTERBACK TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS GRANTED SIXTH YEAR OF NCAA ELIGIBILITY BY STATE JUDGE

"Never instrumentality proposal from a manager that ran this play," Onyx Odds wrote on with a screenshot of an infamous Giants backmost sneak connected third-and-9 from their ain 4-yard enactment successful the 2021 play (the play arguably led to Judge's firing).

Another idiosyncratic said Judge's words were "goofball messaging."

"I’m a begetter myself I’ll ever prioritize my kids needs implicit thing else. On apical of that the things a pistillate has to woody with station childbirth is acold worse than being bushed astatine practice," the idiosyncratic said.

"Sure anticipation helium ne'er talks astir processing his players into bully men. Ever," NFL.com columnist Judy Battista added..

Two Giants reporters, however, rapidly came to the defence of Judge.

"Joe is simply a bully person, and he’s speaking astir the realities of managing responsibilities for assemblage players and their important others during that uniquely pressurized play of their lives. Clipping this to ‘get’ him is bulls---," said The Athletic's Pat Leonard.

ESPN's Jordan Raanan echoed akin sentiments.

Mississippi Rebels quarterbacks manager Joe Judge against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal crippled of the College Football Playoff astatine State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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"Ironically, Joe Judge is the astir family-oriented coaches I've seen. He's astatine Ole Miss successful portion due to the fact that his lad is connected the team. And extracurricular of shot helium does everything with his woman and 4 kids," helium said.

Perhaps Judge's grounds was enough, arsenic Chambliss, whose entreaty was denied by the NCAA, got the sixth twelvemonth helium sought. The justice successful the lawsuit said the NCAA "operated successful atrocious faith."

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