Appalachian State WR Breaks Number One Rule Of Ball Carrying

UNC Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick used to tell his New England Patriots players that "ball security is job security." A wide receiver from another North Carolina college should’ve taken that to heart on Friday night.

ENTER OUTKICK's SWEEPSTAKES FOR FREE TICKETS TO SEE ALABAMA vs. GEORGIA

Appalachian State was playing Charlotte on Friday in each team’s first game of the season. Midway through the first quarter, quarterback AJ Swann heaved a 60-yard bomb downfield which was acrobatically hauled in by Jaden Barnes. After leaping over the defender, he waltzed into the end zone unabated for a score.

Or did he?

Barnes should have had an easy path to the endzone, but because he felt like slowing down for some unknown reason, Ja'Qurious Conley knocked the ball loose just before he crossed the plane.

For the love of Pete, why can’t football players wait to celebrate after they’ve actually scored the rock? Once you get the ball, you have one job: secure it and get across the end zone line. It’s literally my biggest pet peeve as a football fan when guys don't do that.

All Barnes had to do was literally walk about nine more feet, and he could then celebrate to his heart’s content. But no, he had to slow down and give the defense a chance to catch up first, because what entertainment is there in just walking unabated to the endzone?

Not only did he cost his team an early score, Barnes wasted his insane grab and an absolute bomb from Swann. That could’ve been a highlight-reel play. Now he’ll only see that sequence on the blooper reel.

Fortunately, App State still won 34-11. But it could have been a bigger margin had Barnes just been a bit more patient.