A Rutgers University football player was brutally knocked out during a street fight in New Jersey, video shows.
A 10-second clip posted to Twitter shows Carnell Davis, a freshman wide receiver for the Scarlet Knights, squaring up with Alexander Denafo, 26, on Sunday after they had a dispute while playing football on the beach in Margate, the Burlington County Times reported.
“Both men then mutually decided to leave the beach to continue the altercation which developed into a physical fight,” police said in a statement.
The footage shows Davis referencing his mother regarding words that Denafo purportedly said about her before the savage one-punch knockout abruptly ended the July Fourth dispute.
“You were just talking about you were going to f–k my mom,” Davis tells Denafo, according to the clip.
Denafo proceeds to shove Davis backward before both put up their hands to fight. The squabble didn’t last more than a few seconds — ending with a nasty right hook from Denafo to Davis’ face, sending the wideout immediately to the asphalt.
One witness can be heard gasping as Davis falls violently onto his back, hitting the ground with a loud thud.
“Just like that, I warned you,” Denafo says immediately after the ferocious one-punch knockout.
An ambulance responded to a report that a man fell and suffered a “split lip,” police said. Davis was treated at the scene and initially refused to be taken to a hospital, but was later admitted to AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City before being released Tuesday, the Burlington County Times reported. The extent of Davis’ injuries was not detailed in the police report.
A Rutgers football spokesperson told the Press of Atlantic City Davis was recovering at home later in the day.
“Our main concern is Carnell’s health and well-being,” the team official said in a statement. “We look forward to getting him back on campus soon.”
Adding insult to injury, Davis was roasted online for the quick knockout.
“This is Rutgers football player Carnell Davis,” one tweet read. “Carnell Davis cannot, and should not, ever fight on the streets again.”
“Rutgers WR Carnell Davis did not have a great 4th of July,” another tweet read.
Another person even warned others not to watch the shocking footage “unless you have a stomach” for boxing.
Davis, of Galloway Township, is listed at 6 feet 1, 175 pounds, according to his team bio. He was a consensus three-star recruit and was ranked as the number No. 7 player in Florida by ESPN during his senior year at Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne.
Denafo, of Ventor, was charged with simple assault following the incident, police told the Burlington County Times. He’s due to appear in court on July 26, TMZ Sports reported. It’s unclear if he’s hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.