Joe Judge’s Bizarre ‘Football Before Family’ Comment Leaves Lane Kiffin & Fans Cringing – “A Sad, Sad Statement”

Former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is the lead offensive coach and QB coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.

Joe Judge’s Bizarre ‘Football Before Family’ Comment Leaves Lane Kiffin & Fans Cringing – “A Sad, Sad Statement”

Joe Judge and Lane Kiffin ((Image via Ole Miss Rebels on SI/Tiger Dropping/X)

When Lane Kiffin signed with LSU, his understudy, Pete Golding, and QB coach Joe Judge helped signal caller Trinidad Chambliss lead the Ole Miss Rebels to the CFP semi-finals.

They eventually lost a closely fought Fiesta Bowl to eventual CFP National Championship runner-ups, the Miami Hurricanes, as Chambliss could not connect with his receivers on the final deep throw.

Heading into this season, the Rebels are entering a new era where their job is to continue the success they had under Kiffin, and for that reason, they need a top signal caller to lead them.

After losing Jaxson Dart to the Giants and not having good options behind Trinidad Chambliss, the program needed to retain the QB for another season. For that to happen, the 23-year-old would need the NCAA’s blessings.

Earlier last month, the Association denied his request to waive Chambliss’ sophomore season. To counter that, the Ole Miss Rebels sued the NCAA in a Mississippi state court. During the hearing, quarterback coach Joe Judge said this, while on the stand:

We would have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season or are gonna have a baby during the season, and you’d have to educate them on — you have this baby in the middle of the season, that father has to play good football… You need to let him sleep. He needs to be in another room, detached.

Joe Judge said

The former New York Giants head coach did not specifically say this about Trinidad Chambliss, but his message did leave many across the football world shaking their heads.

Joe Judge’s remarks face severe backlash

Usually, football coaches are tasked to get the best out of their athletes. On top of that, they also have to mold them to do better in life as human beings.

Then, when Joe Judge says this in front of a judge, it was bound to draw backlash, with former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin as one of them. Along with him were many others associated with the football world. Check out examples of their disappointed reactions below.

Lane Kiffin's now-deleted reply
Lane Kiffin’s now-deleted reply (Image via SS/X)

Joe Judge was probably trying to suggest that, as a football player in college, the athlete’s primary objective is to play the game at his best. That means the said player has to avoid all distractions. But to label a family as a distraction was not the message Lane Kiffin or anyone expected the 44-year-old to lean on, as there is nothing bigger than being for one’s loved ones.

Mississippi judge awards Trinidad Chambliss 6th year

No matter what Joe Judge said, the NCAA’s lawyers continued to argue that quarterback Trinidad Chambliss did not deserve to get a sixth year of college eligibility. But after Ole Miss’ lawyers presented the facts, the ruling changed:

Judge allows Trinidad Chambliss to play 6th college seasson
Judge allows Trinidad Chambliss to play sixth college season (Image via Zach Berry/X)

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss has been granted a sixth season of eligibility by a state court judge in Mississippi. Chambliss received an injunction today, which paves the way for him to play in 2026 after the NCAA ruled he was eligibility. (The NCAA can appeal.)

Peter Thamel revealed on X

ESPN’s lead college football writer added that this decision came about after several back-and-forth arguments were placed before the judge. Now, he has been cleared to play for the Rebels next season.

However, the NCAA could appeal against this decision, which means there is a chance that the two-time Division II national champion signal caller could be awhile away before knowing his true future.

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