In 2019, two football players reportedly punched a basketball player in the head and face, breaking his jaw. Other claims suggest the violence extends beyond football and the walls of the locker room. Seven months prior, a football player allegedly suffered a broken nose and a traumatic brain injury during a team ritual, leading the injured player's parents to file a lawsuit against Mater Dei and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Late last summer, several football players sexually assaulted a teammate, according to claims in a Santa Ana Police Department document obtained by the Los Angeles Times. 1 in the country by USA Today.īut a recent spate of allegations linked to the Catholic school in Santa Ana appear to highlight behaviors antithetical to the motto. A California powerhouse, the program boasts three Heisman Trophy winners among its graduates and in 2021 was ranked No.
Red block letters in the varsity locker room spell out the motto of Mater Dei High School football.
