WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — For years, Washington coach Darrell Crouch has hosted a ‘Mom’s Night’ practice.

It’s a chance to show his the mothers of his players that football can be played safely. Moms learn the rules, terminology and equipment for football.

Sons also show their mom’s where they play on the field and tell them about their offensive and defensive positions. And at the end of practice, the moms get a chance to tackle their sons.

“We’ve been doing it 10 or 12 years,” said Washington head coach Darrell Crouch. “I was on board because of the negative light with concussions and how they were portraying football.”

But for some reason this year’s ‘Mom’s Night’ practice in Washington has literally blown up. The WMBD video of that Aug. 11 practice with mom’s tackling their sons has been seen and shared all over the world.

National news outlets like ESPN, CBS Sports and FOX Sports picked up the story and showed the clip. The video has millions of online views.

So far this football season, Washington moms may be outshining players.

On my mom’s Facebook, she getting (autograph requests),” ‘said junior Jackson Sonderman. “People are blowing up our phones. My mom is loving it. She’s taking in everything.”

Sonderman and fellow junior Sam Blackburn were among the players being tackled by their mom’s in the viral video clip.

“I get about three texts a day saying, ‘Hey is that you and your mom?’ Yes it is,” said Blackburn. “People from out of state ask, ‘Is that you?’ It’s blown up on all platforms.”

However the star of the clip may be the mom that didn’t make a tackle. Amy Jones, the mom of a freshman player, successfully tackled her son and then tried to tackle her son’s best friend.

And that didn’t go so well.

“I’m 5-3 on a good day, he’s 6-4. I thought I could put a tiny dent in him,” Jones said of 305-pound sophomore Erik Daughtery. “He politely sat down. It was ridiculous. (The Facebook comments) always say look at that mom, she had no chance. She bounced off him like a brick wall. I did.”

But the biggest takeaway from the event may by the positive attention this Washington practice has generated. Crouch says he’s heard from coaches around the country who’d like to plan their own practices for moms.

“I don’t know why you wouldn’t do it,” Crouch said. “It’s been a great thing.”