Motorized scooters are great for getting around campus, especially to the emergency room.
Keivonnis Davis is the second Gators football player in the last seven months to be hospitalized because of a scooter crash. Details aren’t publically available and the team hasn’t specified his injuries, but Gators coach Jim McElwain said he’s already had multiple surgeries and 247Sports reported that the crash broke Davis’ arm and pelvis.
“He’s beat up pretty good,” McElwain said. “He’s got a long road ahead.”
Davis was already unlikely to see the field this season, as he’s one of nine Florida players under investigation for credit card fraud according to University Police. But the specific player doesn’t matter for this trend. If you want a more prominent example, UF’s starting center, T.J. McCoy, was also injured in April when his scooter was struck by a drunk driver. But, to use a phrase beloved by conspirators, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Over the last five years, the Gators have had at least six scooter-related injuries with four of them coming in 2013.
Safety Keanu Neal and his girlfriend — UF gymnast Kytra Hunter — were knocked off of one in the offseason, bruising him and slicing one of his fingers.
Punter Kyle Christy fell off a scooter and needed offseason shoulder surgery.
Offensive lineman Tyler Moore broke his arm after driving on a wet sidewalk.
Defensive lineman Joey Ivie cut his heel on his scooter and needed 25 stitches.
Coach Will Muschamp said he wouldn’t ban scooters then, and McElwain has the same opinion now.
When McElwain was asked Monday if he had considered barring players from using scooters, he implied that it’s not up to him to tell people what they can and can’t do.
“Well, we live in America,” he said in one of the most not-my-problem responses possible. That answer feels like a cop out, especially since plenty of pro football teams have contract clauses forbidding players to ride motorcycles.
Although, there is some evidence that McElwain cares about scooter injuries. After Davis’ crash, he seemed to hold back some feelings, coming off overly selective with his word choice.
“Yeah guys, I tell you… it’s uhm… that’s uhm… those scooters. I was able to go see him. He’s… just really feel for him,” McElwain said.
To give the staff some credit, they attempted some risk management when they held a scooter safety event in the spring. UF even gave players scooter helmets painted just like the ones they use on the field. But you probably didn’t notice because players never wear them.
That won’t happen until someone enforces some rules. Luckily for UF, the Gators are great at monitoring their players (not counting the nine facing felony charges).
When Gators coach Jim McElwain was asked if he'd considered forcing players to wear helmets on scooters or ban athletes from riding on scooters all together, he answered, "Well, we live in America."
