BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. — A high school football player in Michigan is recovering from a severe spinal injury sustained during a game last week.
The incident occurred during a game between Lakeshore High School and Kalamazoo Central.
The player’s spine was fractured in two places after a player from Kalamazoo Central jumped on top of him following a tackle, CNN affiliate WSBT reported.
Courtney Mims, the mother of the injured player, expressed her distress upon seeing her son hurt on the field.
“First was like, ‘Is that my son?’ And as soon as it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I had to go down there. It was, I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son,” she said.
Her son was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered his spine was broken in two places. He has since been released and is recovering at home.
“He’s out at least for this season. We don’t know if he’s going to be able to play again. He should and will make a full recovery,” Mims said.
She emphasized the importance of raising awareness about dangerous plays, stating, “Boys are high school boys. They’re 15 years old. The game means a lot to them. It’s their whole life right now. They’re there from before I get up to go to work in the morning till after dinner, putting in the work and for somebody to try to take that from somebody doing so much is awful for me to see.”
The Michigan High School Athletic Association is aware of the situation and has communicated with both schools involved, who are resolving the issue internally.
Kalamazoo Central called the play “the action of an individual student who displayed an egregious act against a player on the opposing team” and said the student has received “consequences.”
Lakeshore school leaders mentioned they are working with Kalamazoo Central regarding the incident. They also said, “We wish the Lakeshore student a speedy recovery and we are in regular communication with his family regarding this matter. We also have put in place supportive measures to ensure our student athlete can continue his education while he recovers.”
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