Skip to main content
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Wiedmer: Tom Cutinella tragedy shows head hits still haunting football

Shoreham Wading River football players gather at a makeshift memorial for Tom Cutinella on the high school's field on Oct. 2, 2014, in Shoreham, N.Y. Cutinella died the day before at the age of 16 from a collision in a game against John Glenn High School.
Shoreham Wading River football players gather at a makeshift memorial for Tom Cutinella on the high school's field on Oct. 2, 2014, in Shoreham, N.Y. Cutinella died the day before at the age of 16 from a collision in a game against John Glenn High School. Shoreham Wading River football players gather at a makeshift memorial for Tom Cutinella on the high school's field on Oct. 2, 2014, in Shoreham, N.Y. Cutinella died the day before at the age of 16 from a collision in a game against John Glenn High School.

By Mark Wiedmer 6 min read

photo Mark Wiedmer

Early this afternoon, Amy Huesman will serve Easter dinner to her family and at least nine University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football players coached by her husband.

“It’s all her,” Russ Huesman, UTC’s head coach since 2009, said with a chuckle Friday morning. “I don’t do anything. I just help eat it, and it’s all really good.”

Anyone wishing to list all that’s good about football at any level could do far worse than start with the Huesmans, who could easily be considered the First Family of Mocs football. Not only did Russ play for UTC long before he became the school’s coach, his son Jacob may go down as the most decorated player in school history for quarterbacking the Mocs to two playoff berths and three Southern Conference titles during his four seasons.

Beyond that – and perhaps more important than that – Russ Huesman’s teams have hugely excelled in the classroom and in the community where they’ve become fixtures at Special Olympics and other charitable endeavors.

So when the UTC coach says, “I would recommend that any kid who wants to play football play it, it’s the greatest sport in the world,” his words should carry extra weight and perspective.