1 Mom’s Night An Annual Tradition
Peoria’s Washington High Panthers hosted the annual Mom’s Night practice, in which mothers donned shoulder pads and helmets and attempted to tackle their sons onto a big rubber mat. The intention was to encourage moms to learn more about the game. Washington TV Sports director Kurt Pegler tweeted, “Favorite night at preseason football practice? Mom’s night at Washington. Players’ moms learn about equipment, rules, plays… and did we mention they get to tackle their sons?” Keep reading to see the video. 2 “Go As Fast As You Can Go”
In the video, players cheered as mothers wearing the Panthers uniform individually plowed themselves into their sons, knocking them onto the practice mat. Coaches egged the women on: “Go as fast as you can go,” they said.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb 3 Social Media Reaction Mixed
Not all the mom were able to land a successful tackle. One woman attempted to ram into her extremely large son and bounced right off him as the crowd laughed and cheered. Social media commenters were largely amused by the antics.  “Those moms tackle better than anyone on the Cowboys roster,” said Twitter user @Cadguydvk. “those moms been waiting 15 years for this one moment,” said @jennytaftburner. “I wish they would’ve done that when I played HS ball. I’m sure my mom had plenty of rage,” tweeted @BriansOpinions. Others were unimpressed. “Not one of them broke down, chopped their feet, exploded from the hips, initiated contact with the pads .. if that’s how they pass down technical expertise to their offspring that 10 ply defense is showing up to a winless season of Friday nights,” tweeted @HagsCIty. 4 Video a Hit on National Media
The video—originally captured by Kurt Pegler of WMBD—attracted plenty of national attention, including from the hosts of CBS Mornings and ESPN’s SportsCenter. “They’re venting,” CBS’ Tony Dokoupil said as the video played and the hosts laughed. “Look at that hit! She, like, put her shoulder into it.” 5 Pro Analysis Goes Deep
KSL Sports Radio host Trevor Allen analyzed the mothers’ tackling techniques, and his breakdowns veered from technical to psychological. “Take a look at this one,” said Olsen of one tackle. “Her son has been asked to do dishes, has been asked to vacuum, has been asked to be a better brother and hasn’t been. So, mom is going to launch right here. She is going to get her head onto the side. That’s a really good shot.” About the mom who ricocheted off her son: “She’s playing with loose pads, it’s going to get you hurt,” Olsen said. “Get that shoulder down, mom. Drop the heat on that boy.”