Texas Coach Sarkisian Reacts to Player's Vulgar Celebration in Front of Trump

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed Colin Simmons' vulgar celebration in front of President Donald Trump by stating, "I'm not going to give the guy the death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty." Trump was in attendance for the SEC game at Neyland Stadium and witnessed the incident.

Simmons sacked Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon on third down, which would have resulted in fourth-and-long. However, the sophomore player then stood over the fallen quarterback and mimicked a urination gesture, drawing an immediate unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for "simulating using the restroom." The penalty nullified the sack.

The broadcast commentary, including Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler, heavily criticized Simmons' actions. Herbstreit called it an "absolutely idiotic move," with Fowler agreeing it was "vulgar."

Sarkisian acknowledged that Simmons' conduct "can't continue" as the season progresses and emphasized the need for the team to correct such behavior. "We had a real talk about it at halftime, about how we needed to play the second half, and we needed to celebrate with one another," Sarkisian said. He confirmed that Simmons was briefly removed from the game and addressed about the incident before being allowed back in.

Despite the penalty, Sarkisian noted Simmons' impressive performance, stating, "But five sacks was pretty cool." Simmons himself apologized for his celebration, admitting he was "in that mode, feeling myself."

Teammate Justin Cryer recounted trying to intervene to prevent the penalty. "I seen where it was going, and I tried to go grab him before we got a penalty, but it was too late," Cryer said. He advised Simmons to "keep our head" and not let penalties dictate the game's outcome.

Texas secured a 4-0 record after defeating Tennessee, handing the Volunteers their first loss of the season. The Longhorns are set to face rival Oklahoma on October 10 after a bye week.