CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — “It’s heartbreaking,” is how David Gilmore described seeing the video of his son’s injury, sustained under a coach’s supervision during tryouts at Veterans Memorial High School.
Gilmore’s son, who will remain unidentified at the family’s request, was trying out for the Eagles basketball team.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 9, inside the school’s wrestling room. According to witness accounts, students were in the room preparing for a yoga session. While Assistant Coach Darius Rice set up a television, some students began wrestling.
In a letter explaining the incident, Coach Rice acknowledged that such wrestling typically occurred during setup but stated that technical issues with the internet distracted him on the day in question. Coach Rice reportedly told the team to stop, citing “too much going on.” He then instructed the players to form a single circle where they could continue under his supervision.
At this point, accounts diverge. Coach Rice stated in his letter that he “never paired any students up.” However, the injured student claimed that Coach Rice “was calling guys out according to size.” Another unidentified player corroborated this, stating, “He chose out of size; it was fair so no one could get hurt.” The injured student also reported that neither he nor his opponent wanted to wrestle.
Gilmore provided the above video to 6 Investigates, taken by another student. The video shows the two players wrestling as their teammates cheer. One student wraps his arm around the injured student’s neck before flipping him onto his back. The student remains on top of the injured player as the group continues to cheer.
“You could see him in the video, he goes limp. He said, ‘Dad, I lost all feeling,’” Gilmore told KRIS 6. “At that point, whether you’ve (Rice) set this up or did wrong, you’ve got to step in.”
The video shows the coach jumping along with the students on the left-hand side. 6 Investigates determined the coach to be Rice based on a tattoo matching a photo taken from Rice’s social media.
“There’s no working on the TV, setting it up. He’s in the video dancing as my son breaks his neck. Following that, my son has no assistance,” Gilmore explained.
In his statement, Coach Rice wrote that “no one” thought the student was injured, though he admitted to noticing the student landed “awkwardly.” Rice added that he allowed the student to leave practice early after observing his discomfort. “I would never have put these kids in danger,” Rice wrote. He described the incident as “boys being boys” and stated that it was an “accident.”
Rice is a former professional basketball player, best known for his time with the University of Miami. He is also the nephew of former professional football player and three-time Super Bowl winner Jerry Rice.
Following the tryout, Gilmore took his son to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where a plate was inserted. However, complications from the neck surgery resulted in nerve damage and syncopal episodes. One such episode caused his son to hit his head and sustain a traumatic brain injury.
“This is a healthy kid that was ready to play basketball, trying out for the team, doing everything he could to be a basketball player. And here we are,” Gilmore said.
Following the incident, Gilmore did not receive any communication from the school until weeks later. CCISD police conducted an investigation into the night, but there is no knowledge of any reprimand for those involved.
According to Gilmore, Coach Rice did reach out to his son, but allegedly no apology was given. “My son’s in his neck brace in his room, and he’s telling my son, ‘Oh, I’m getting fired. I’m fired.’ And my son is feeling bad for him."
6 Investigates requested an interview with CCISD, but the district provided a statement instead, “respectfully” declining the interview request:
“The district has conducted and concluded an investigation into allegations of unsafe behavior occurring in October 2024 involving Veterans Memorial High School student-athletes in the presence of a coach. While we cannot discuss details of investigations or personnel matters, we want to assure students, families, and the community that safety is a top priority in our schools,” CCISD wrote in the statement."
The Eagles Basketball team is currently 28-0.
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