Gastonia youth football coach apologizes after video shows him grabbing player

GASTONIA, N.C. — A youth football coach in Gastonia is off the team after video surfaced showing him verbally and physically assaulting a player.

He’s apologizing for his actions now, and he told Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz there’s more to the story.

Video sent to our newsroom shows Antwan Wyatt, a Gastonia Knights 12U football coach, grabbing and pushing a player while using profanity. After the video spread through social media, the Knights released a statement saying they just were made aware of the video and were handling it immediately.

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Goetz spoke on the phone with Wyatt on Monday. He said he’s sorry for reacting the way he did and has apologized to the player.

Wyatt said that player and another one had been fighting in the van. He sent video that shows two boys fighting in what appears to be the same clothes from the first video. Wyatt said he was stepping in because of that fight.

“Like I said, I went a little too far with my language but I would never hit a kid, hurt a kid. I haven’t never hurt any of my kids,” Wyatt said. “I mean, I just panicked because I saw a kid being choked and his eyes close and go limp. Like what was I supposed to do?”

Pt. 2: Gastonia youth football coach apologizes after video shows him grabbing player

“I show these boys tough love but I show them love, you know,” he added. “I try to teach them not to make the same mistakes that I made, you know, in life coming up.”

Wyatt said that tough love is to make sure his players don’t make the same mistakes he did. He has been arrested a number of times and served 36 months supervised probation after being charged with selling cocaine in Lincoln County.

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“The kids I have touched and been in their life -- I haven’t had one kid go to prison or die early because of the message I am preaching to them, what I am showing them, and what I am trying to teach them,” Wyatt said.

Wyatt told Goetz he agreed to step away from the team, but President Cliff Phillips said the team made that decision.

“We’re just doing the right thing, as far as the kids, as far as the program,” Phillips said.

Phillips also told Goetz this is a difficult situation and the players and coaches are upset.

“We pray for the parents, the kids, and the coach, you know -- for everybody to learn from this situation, and, you know, we grow from it as a football unit,” Phillips said.

(WATCH BELOW: Video shows Anson High School principal put student in headlock during fight)