After watching two of his players suffer significant injuries in scooter accidents, then-head coach Ralph Friedgen sent letters to parents of his players urging them to ban their sons from utilizing that mode of transportation.
Friedgen’s successor, however, has gone over the heads of the parents and enacted two-wheel martial law.
By way of the Washington Post, Maryland’s student newspaper is reporting that Randy Edsall has banned his football players from owning motorized scooters. Players were informed of Edsall’s edict Jan. 23.
One of the players involved in a scooter accident last fall didn’t appear to have a problem with the coach’s decision.
"[Edsall] just wants to keep us safe. He’s a new coach; you have to follow his rules,” said offensive tackle Pete DeSouza. “I don’t think anyone was mad. Everyone just wants to win, so we’ll follow his rules.”
DeSouza suffered a pair of broken legs in October when a vehicle turned into the path of his scooter, and the redshirt freshman missed the remainder of the season as a result of the injuries. A month and a half later, teammate Dexter McDougle was a passenger on a scooter -- driven by teammate Isaiah Ross -- that was involved in a wreck, resulting in a broken clavicle for the cornerback.