Glendale's Joelle Rover shows maturity beyond his years after viral moment seen by millions
· Yahoo Sports
SPRINGFIELD — The country was introduced to the Southside Showdown on Oct. 8. Glendale defeated Kickapoo 35-6, but the game was never the story.
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Glendale wide receiver Joelle Rover was grabbed by referee Kevin Elmer following a touchdown. Millions saw the incident on social media. Influential accounts, including former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, shared the video.
“It’s just like football. Bad plays happen, bad stuff happens,” Rover said. “You just need to move on from it and go to the next play, next opportunity. From that instance, a lot of opportunities have opened up to me.”
While MSHSAA has suspended Elmer, Rover’s reaction and maturity were the most striking. Rover never complained and didn’t react negatively in the moment. He said he’s quite proud of it, telling the News-Leader last week.
“I can’t say that I’m grateful for what happened,” Rover said. “But I’m grateful for how I acted in the situation.”
Rover hasn’t received an apology or been in contact with Elmer. But other Missouri high school referees have sent him messages of support.
“They’ve congratulated me on my character. I really appreciated that,” Rover said. “It’s a thing that they didn’t have to and they did it anyways. I’m grateful for that.”
During Glendale’s win over Rolla, Rover jogged back to the line of scrimmage to start a new play. A Rolla player was overheard asking him about the referee incident, saying he'd seen the video on TikTok.
Rover took it in stride and kept playing.
After millions of people know who Rover is, it would be easy for him to succumb to the pressure and not perform. Instead, the wide receiver and defensive back has risen to the challenge.
The senior has 727 receiving yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns. His composure and willingness to do anything for the team despite the incident have made head coach Frank Tristan really proud.
“Joelle hasn’t changed. He’s a happy-go-lucky, consistent guy,” Tristan said. “The way he has handled this hasn’t surprised me at all. It’s probably why he is a phenomenal three-sport athlete. In some games, the stands will be just screaming at him and he will just keep playing.”
Rover and Glendale have a big district semifinal game on the road against Helias Catholic on Friday, Nov. 6.
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Glendale's Joelle Rover shows maturity beyond his years after viral moment seen by millions