Kragthorpe Speaks About the Incident

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Apparently, seven overtimes was not enough.

After No. 22 Texas A&M outlasted No. 7 LSU, 74-72, in an NCAA record-tying seven overtimes that took 4 hours and 53 minutes Saturday night, the battle raged on, and the fallout may continue Monday.

LSU offensive analyst Steve Kragthorpe, 53, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2011 and has had a pacemaker in his chest to stimulate his brain since 2017, was punched in the chest by a credentialed man from the Texas A&M sideline. That is when LSU director of player development Kevin Faulk, a former LSU and NFL star back from Lafayette, went after the man, whose identity has not been confirmed by Texas A&M.

"Out of nowhere, I got nailed," Kragthorpe said in a phone interview while he drove back home from the game Sunday afternoon. "I didn't go down, but I clutched over. I was like, 'Damn, he got me right in my pacemaker.' Then it started fluttering like he jostled it."

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Kragthorpe was checked out by Texas A&M team doctor Jesse Parr and emergency medical personnel at the game.

"I feel OK, but not as good as I was," Kragthorpe said. "I felt like he tore something in there. I will be seeing my neurologist in Baton Rouge on Monday."

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"I don't want to press charges," he said. "I don't want to pursue it. It's one of those things that happens in the heat of the moment." But Kragthorpe said Texas A&M may be held responsible if his pacemaker has been damaged or if he has been injured.

"I didn't appreciate getting punched in my pacemaker," he said. "I'm not feeling good right now.

I have no idea who the guy is. But he was wearing an A&M shirt, and I think I saw him signalling during the game. He was credentialed, so A&M should know who he is."

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Kragthorpe said he was at first walking across the sideline to say hello to Texas A&M linebackers coach Bradley Dale Peveto, who coached at LSU from 2014-16, and other A&M coaches Kragthorpe knows. Then he saw Texas A&M wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig yelling and going up to LSU coaches, including head coach Ed Orgeron. "Dameyune Craig started the whole thing," Kragthorpe said. "Just trash talking and yelling and screaming a bunch of crap."

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