In one of the more unusual practice incidents in recent memory, Texas Tech starting quarterback Behren Morton found himself sidelined after a failed attempt to hurdle a Gatorade cooler during a spirited team hype drill on Wednesday afternoon.
According to eyewitnesses, the Red Raiders were wrapping up a high-energy segment of practice focused on building team chemistry and excitement. Players were dancing, jumping, and even mock-celebrating touchdowns in the end zone when Morton, reportedly “feeling the moment,” took off toward the sideline cooler with intentions of leaping over it.
“He looked locked in,” said one offensive lineman who asked to remain anonymous. “You could see it in his eyes—he was trying to set the tone. But man, that cooler wasn’t going down without a fight.”
Morton’s left foot clipped the edge of the cooler mid-air, sending him tumbling into a chaotic pile of water bottles, athletic tape, and at least two stunned student trainers. While there were no serious injuries, the quarterback landed awkwardly on his right side and remained down briefly before trainers helped him to his feet.
Team officials later confirmed that Morton suffered “a mild sprain and a bruised ego,” and is considered day-to-day. Head Coach Joey McGuire downplayed the incident during his post-practice media availability but admitted it might be time to “rethink the intensity of our pregame hype routines.”
“He’s okay, just a little banged up,” McGuire said. “We appreciate the energy and leadership, but we’ll probably keep the cooler jumps to the wide receivers from now on.”
Social media quickly lit up with memes, fan theories, and slowed-down footage of the incident. One clip, which now has over 250,000 views, shows Morton launching himself with dramatic flair before the untimely encounter with the cooler. The video has already been dubbed with sound effects ranging from Looney Tunes falls to dramatic NFL Films music.
As for Morton, he took to Instagram shortly after the incident with a photo of the cooler and the caption: “You win this round.” Teammates flooded the comments with laughing emojis and supportive jokes.
Barring setbacks, Morton is expected to return to practice within the next few days. Until then, the Gatorade cooler has been officially placed on the team’s “non-contact” list.
