MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — This is something I certainly didn’t expect to see coming out of Morgantown after last night’s West Virginia game.
A video has been circulating on social media showing WVU legendary fullback Owen Schmitt being escorted off the field by three West Virginia State Troopers following what appears to be a brief disagreement with a security officer. Exactly what led up to the situation remains unclear, and until we know more, I’m not going to pretend that we know the entire story.
But I’ll say this: seeing Owen Schmitt being escorted off Mountaineer Field like that just doesn’t sit right with me.
This isn’t some random guy who wandered onto the field after a game. This is Owen Schmitt. This is one of the most recognizable and beloved players of the modern era of West Virginia football. This is a guy who became the physical embodiment of what Mountaineer football was all about during one of the greatest stretches in program history.
Schmitt came to West Virginia as a walk-on and became a fan favorite because of the way he played the game. He was tough. He was physical. He was emotional. And he played every snap like it might be his last. WVU fans loved him because he represented the blue-collar mentality that has always been such a huge part of this program and this state.
Who can forget the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma? Who can forget Schmitt breaking loose for that 57-yard touchdown and rumbling down the field in one of the most memorable plays in WVU history? Who can forget the mohawk, the broken facemasks and the intensity that made him a Mountaineer legend?
That’s why the video from last night is so strange to watch.
Owen Schmitt escorted off the field last night! 👀
You don’t do this to a #WVU legend! pic.twitter.com/3JwimLOR3Z
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) September 27, 2026
Again, we don’t know everything that happened. The video circulating online doesn’t provide enough context to determine exactly what was said, what happened before the recording started, or why the decision was ultimately made to escort Schmitt from the field. There could certainly be more to the story, and if additional information comes out, we’ll report it.
But there also has to be some common sense involved in situations like this.
If Owen Schmitt is on the field after a West Virginia football game and there is some kind of misunderstanding or disagreement, you would hope somebody recognizes who he is and finds a way to de-escalate the situation without it ending with three State Troopers walking one of the most beloved former players in program history off the field.
Schmitt has earned a special place in the history of West Virginia football. That doesn’t mean former players are above the rules, and it doesn’t mean we should automatically blame the security officer or the State Troopers without knowing what happened. But it does mean that seeing this happen is going to rub a lot of Mountaineer fans the wrong way.
It certainly rubbed me the wrong way.
Hopefully we get some clarification about exactly what happened and why Schmitt was escorted from the field. Until then, I’m not going to speculate about something we can’t see in the video.
But one thing is undeniable.
Owen Schmitt gave everything he had to West Virginia University when he put on that uniform. He became a Mountaineer the hard way, became an All-Big East player, helped WVU reach incredible heights and created memories that Mountaineer fans will never forget.
Seeing him escorted off Mountaineer Field is something I never expected to see.
You don’t do this to a WVU legend.
