East Carolina DB David Coleman Jr. Helped Off Field After Umpire Slips Into His Leg in 17-9 Win Over Temple

East Carolina freshman defensive back David Coleman Jr. had to be helped off the field Saturday, Oct. 31, after an official lost his footing between plays and slid into his leg. The Pirates went on to beat Temple 17-9.

Coleman could not put weight on the leg. Coaches helped carry him to the sideline, and he did not return. The ESPN broadcast said he was taken to the hospital.

What the video shows

The official was running upfield between snaps. He appeared to change direction, slipped, and slid into Coleman's leg as the defensive back was heading back toward his position.

Coleman's leg appeared to bend awkwardly as he went down. He stayed on the turf briefly before being helped up and escorted to the medical tent.

The Sporting News identified the official as umpire Jonathan Kirk, saying he appeared to be running to his usual spot in front of the safeties.

The injury is not confirmed

Social media and several outlets described Coleman's injury as an apparent broken leg. That has not been confirmed. ClutchPoints noted that rumors suggest a broken leg but said "we can only hope that the prognosis is not that severe." East Carolina has not released a diagnosis or a recovery timeline.

Coleman is a Kingsland, Georgia, native who played at Camden County High School. He was a three-star recruit in the 2026 class, ranked No. 1,266 nationally and No. 116 among safeties by the 247Sports Composite.

Entering the game he had six tackles in three appearances this season, his first at East Carolina.

The game itself

The win got East Carolina back to .500. The Pirates had been 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the American Conference coming in, after overtime losses to UAB and Memphis in their previous two games.

Head coach Blake Harrell lost a young defensive back during the game, and the program has not said how long Coleman is expected to be out.

Fans want accountability

The official's conduct drew an angry reaction from East Carolina fans online. One fan wrote that the official "needs to be fired." Another asked, "WTF is that ref even running for?" A third wrote that the player should sue the referee administration "for every last dime."

The ECU fan account No Quarter ECU posted: "A referee just broke one of our players legs. You can't make this up." Another fan pointed to the official's apparent attempt to change direction as the player stepped the same way.

Others saw it differently. USA Today called the collision "a complete accident by the official." The video shows a slip, not a block or a tackle. ClutchPoints noted that "everyone makes mistakes, and this referee must feel awful."

The calls for a firing and a lawsuit come from fans on social media.

Officials and the field of play

Some fans argued officials should stay out of the way entirely. One fan wrote that referees "do not need to be on the field."

The open questions are Coleman's actual diagnosis and how long he will be sidelined.