The mother of a 15-year-old who was seriously injured during a high school football game has shared her experience.
The player, identified as Colton, sustained a fractured spine after being tackled by larger players from the opposing team in a JV game held in Michigan on Thursday night.
As Courtney Mims, Colton’s mother, watched the match between Lakeshore and Kalamazoo Central High Schools, she witnessed a larger player from Lakeshore crossing the line.
After tackling Colton, the larger player aggressively launched himself onto Colton while he was still on the ground.
Initially, Courtney did not realize that the player injured on the field was her son.
“As soon as it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped,” she explained to WSBT. ” I had to go down there. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son.
“These 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.”
Colton was promptly taken off the field and transported to a hospital where he is currently receiving treatment for two spinal fractures.
There is uncertainty regarding his future ability to play football.
A Lakeshore High School representative mentioned to WSBT: “We can’t share any information at this time, other than we are working with the other school about this situation.”
Football poses significant risks not only due to dramatic incidents like this but also because of frequent minor collisions during games.
The human brain, cushioned in fluid within the skull, can suffer damage during sudden stops and impacts, leading to the brain hitting the inside of the skull.
This repeated trauma across a player’s career often results in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
While CTE is not exclusive to American Football, the sport’s high-contact nature significantly elevates players’ risk.
For instance, a 2023 study by the Boston University CTE Center found that 345 out of 376 former NFL players were diagnosed with CTE, compared to a 2018 study on the general population which discovered the condition in 1 out of 164 people.