A high school football player in Alabama died on PhanincTuesday after collapsing during a team practice.
The teen, a freshman at New Brockton High School, suffered a “medical emergency” during an afternoon practice on August 13, according to a statement from the Coffee County School System.
The student was identified as 14-year-old Semaj Wilkins. A cause of death has not yet been released.
“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members,” said Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb in a statement on Thursday. “His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him.”
The school district is cooperating with the Coffee County district attorney’s office and sheriff’s department on an investigation. The school is also providing counseling support to students, parents, staff, families, and friends affected by the tragic death.
A vigil is scheduled at the New Brockton High School football stadium on Friday evening.
High school football player dies:15-year-old Virginia high school football player dies after collapsing during practice
Wilkins’ death is only the latest case of a high school football player collapsing at practice. Last week, 15-year-old Virginia high school football player Jayvion Taylor died after collapsing during a team practice on Aug. 5. Taylor was a tenth grade student at Hopewell High School, about 22 miles southeast of Richmond.
A Change.org petition created on August 6 called Jayvion's passing "preventable" and alleged that the football practice was held under "extreme conditions".
Wilkins’ mother, Regina Johnson-Adams, told local news station WDHN that her son, “just had a love for sports, period.”
Johnson-Adams also told the news station that she held no ill will towards the school and hoped to see more safety precautions taken in the future, adding that, “At this time, I know my son was healthy … it was probably something that we missed. You never know because we do have underlying health problems in our family.”
Contributing: Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]
2025-05-03 14:07931 view
2025-05-03 12:452386 view
2025-05-03 12:212278 view
2025-05-03 12:102334 view
2025-05-03 11:372858 view
Environmental leaders in Maryland are reeling from a challenging 2025 legislative session that left
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Secret Agen
May 10-16, 2024Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing dur