Justice Hudson said hearing that one of his former football coaches at Mountain Pointe High School allegedly gave vital information to opposing coaches blindsided him.
“I feel kind of hurt," the 20-year-old Hudson told 12 News. "We didn’t really see it coming. We were really close with him, we knew him really well."
Justin Hager, the school's former assistant football coach, and girl's basketball coach, is accused of sending emails containing plays and strategy to opposing teams as far back as 2017. Hudson was an offensive lineman for the high school for a couple of years around the 2016-2017 season.
RELATED: Emails show Mountain Pointe HS coach allegedly sent vital info to at least 10 opposing coaches
Hudson said the coach and health class teacher he knew was a "really cool dude," one he would have a "casual coach and player conversation" with in class on gamedays. He said all of the players were excited for Hager when he got the football coaching job.
"If I were to see him before this situation came out, he’s the type of person I would sit there and talk to," Hudson said. "Like, you know, to see how his life is going."
The emails allegedly sent by Hager from an anonymous email address were sent to at least 10 coaches regarding Mountain Pointe's basketball and football teams, including at least one basketball state championship in 2018 against Pinnacle High School and a football state semifinals game in 2017 against Perry High School. Mountain Pointe lost both of those games.
"I’m not saying we lost a state title just off him giving strategies," Hudson said. I’m saying it could have helped them. It’s a notch up on us because they know more.”
Hudson said he and the friends and former teammates he's spoken with since news broke about Hager's alleged actions are still in disbelief. He said the news was a "slap in the face" for all of them.
"All of us are just so confused," Hudson said. “You got to realize we don’t understand why he would want to do that to 16 and 17-year-old kids. Like what did he get out of it?"
Hudson said during his senior year his team was hurt, but kept it "hush, hush." But if information like that was released to opposing teams, they could have benefited from it.
"We were a really close-knit group and I think that’s why it hurts us so much," Hudson said. "Because we had been through so much turmoil and all these things and to have something like that come out years later like hurts your feelings a little bit.”
In lieu of termination, Hager resigned Monday from his employment at the school. Hudson said he still wants to know why his former coach would sabotage his own team and maybe even an apology.
"Why would he want to do that? What would he get out of that from sending other schools our plays, our strategies for the week? Hudson said. "I don’t know we just don’t understand.”