Fedora's decision could have cost a lot more than the game

Bryn Renner and Larry Fedora told the same story.

Renner said it was a rib injury. Fedora said there was no contact to Renner’s head on the play.

Both said Renner only got the wind knocked out of him and that the hit left no lingering effects.

The game film tells a different story, one which should have ended with Renner staying on the sideline.

Instead, the story will continue unresolved into North Carolina football’s game against No. 19 Louisville on Saturday.

Renner is healthy and starting against the Cardinals, but he has played two more quarters this season than he should have.

On a third and goal during the second quarter of last weekend’s loss to Wake Forest, Renner rolled right and scrambled for the end zone.

He was stopped short by safety Duran Lowe. The video shows Lowe’s shoulder hitting Renner’s shoulder and head.

The UNC quarterback tried to get up. But he looked to the sideline, pointed frantically to his head and collapsed limp on the turf. He appeared to be unconscious.

UNC’s medical trainers rushed onto the field. They were checking Renner’s head — not his ribs.

But somehow, Renner only missed one offensive down before playing the rest of the game.

He shouldn’t have been allowed to see the field again.

Renner doesn’t have a concussion. But he took a clear blow to the head that could have easily given him one.

That alone should have been enough to keep him on the bench.

But Renner re-entered the game almost immediately, risking a second impact, which can make head injuries much worse.

The move was especially striking considering the care taken with running back Giovani Bernard’s knee injury.

Bernard was held out against Wake Forest despite having been expected to play, and his status for the Louisville game is still uncertain.

But Renner, who could have had a concussion — a brain injury — played after just a few minutes on the sideline.

As concussion awareness has increased, rules have been implemented at all levels of football to help keep players safe from head injuries.

Yet Renner said after the game that he did not take any concussion tests.

Players who are hit in the head normally must pass a series of precautionary tests before returning to action.

Fedora said it was his call to let Renner play.

Renner amended his earlier comments during Monday’s press conference, saying he passed two concussion tests during the game.

After the hit, Renner wasn’t the same. He was less accurate and looked unsure of himself. Renner was 10 for 13 with a touchdown before the hit. After it, he went 13 for 26 with an interception.

But the statistics don’t even matter. If Renner had played flawlessly it would still have been irresponsible to let him play.

No organization should unnecessarily risk a player’s safety in a football game. UNC did.

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.