A 16-year-old Tennessee girl was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after she entered a middle school football game and tackled a player she alleged was abusing her younger brother. The incident occurred Tuesday night during a game between South Middle School and Cornersville Middle School in Winchester, Tennessee.
Addison Hunnicutt stated she intervened when she saw a South Middle School player allegedly grab her brother’s face mask and spin him around multiple times, followed by a blow to his ribs. "That’s when I started to be like, no, I’m done watching this," Hunnicutt told WTVF. "I wasn’t going after this kid just to go after him. That wasn’t my intention at all. Seeing what they were doing to him and no one stopping it, that kind of made me the last choice. Somebody has to stop this."
Hunnicutt ran onto the field at Franklin County High School and tackled the 13-year-old player, reportedly throwing him to the ground twice before officials and coaches intervened. Following the incident, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office charged Hunnicutt.
She has also been banned for life from Franklin County Schools properties and is not permitted to attend any more Cornersville Middle School games, home or away. The date referenced in the reporting is August 18, 2026.
Hunnicutt’s mother, Elizabeth Chumbley, acknowledged her daughter’s actions were inappropriate but supported her protective intentions. "I made sure she understood quickly that her behavior, that was inappropriate, and you should not have jumped over the fence," Chumbley told the outlet. "I’m seeing my son on the ground being attacked. This wasn’t just a football play. This is him on the ground being physically attacked by this other player."
The father of the tackled player, Brandon Taylor, posted on Facebook about his son’s response. "My son is a true gentleman, and he did not deserve to be tackled, pushed, or humiliated on the field. He is a 13-year-old child, and I will always stand up for him and protect him," Taylor wrote. He added that his son showed restraint, stating, "She better be glad she’s a girl."