The New York Jets and New York Giants clashed in the final week of the preseason on Saturday night, but it wasn’t just the players feeling the impact of the game. One of the Giants’ coaches might be reaching for some ice after a particularly rough encounter.
Early in the third quarter, Giants’ executive director of player performance, Aaron Wellman, was quietly going about his business on the sideline when he found himself on the wrong end of a collision with Jets running back Xazavian Valladay.
The incident occurred during a third-and-10 play from the Jets’ 45-yard line with 12:51 left in the third quarter. Jets quarterback Andrew Peasley dropped back and connected with Valladay on a short pass. Valladay, showing his usual determination, pushed forward for a 14-yard gain before being shoved out of bounds. Unfortunately for Wellman, Valladay’s momentum carried him straight into the sideline, where he crashed into the unsuspecting coach.
Multiple camera angles captured the moment, showing the full force of Valladay’s impact as he barreled into Wellman. The coach was knocked off his feet, much to the surprise of everyone on the sideline.
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Fortunately, Wellman appeared to be okay after the collision, though he might be feeling the effects later. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him wrapped in ice packs, resembling scenes from the classic football movie Rudy where players are iced up after a grueling practice.
Wellman has an extensive history with the Giants, having served as their strength and conditioning coach from 2016 to 2019 before taking on a role at Indiana University as the senior assistant athletic director for football performance. He returned to the Giants this year in his current position, bringing his expertise back to the team.
After this close call, Wellman might need to keep a sharper eye on the field during the rest of the season to avoid any more unexpected run-ins with charging players.
