Mike Shanahan Bowled Over During Redskins Practice

Mike Shanahan, Redskins coach, was knocked to the ground in a scary collision at the team’s new indoor practice facility on Monday.

Shanahan, in his third year with the Washington Redskins, was hit by receiver Pierre Garcon and cornerback Brandyn Thompson, after quarterback Robert Griffin III threw a deep pass, according to The Washington Post.

The coach was lying on the ground motionless for almost two minutes, before slowly getting to his feet. He was able to continue practice following several minutes with the team’s medical staff, and even smiled, despite a large red welt on his left cheek.

The Washington Times reports that linebacker London Fletcher stated:

“It was pretty bad looking. Obviously concerned about his safety. He wasn’t able to brace himself for the collision, either. He had his back to the play, so definitely a very scary feeling for a while out there.”

Griffin, the rookie quarterback who threw the ball, stated of Mike Shanahan’s collision:

“He showed some toughness…that’s a [benchmark] of our team. It was pretty scary, actually, seeing two guys running full-speed smack dab into your coach. We’re glad he got up, glad he was fine. We hope he’s fine tomorrow because usually hits like that don’t kick in until the next day.”

Garcon, one of the two players who hit Shanahan, remarked:

“Coach even asked who hit him. I was hoping he wasn’t (knocked) out. But you know how that is. It was a scary moment, you just never know.”

According to The Washington Post, public relations director Tony Wylie called off the Redskin’s after practice media session, citing that Mike Shanahan was “not in a condition” to speak with reporters after the incident.