A 15-year-old Michigan student and football player suffered spine fractures after a rival player from another school jumped on top of him.
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According to WSBT, the incident occurred on Thursday, September 18. At the time, the 15-year-old boy, playing for Lakeshore High School, was facing the Kalamazoo Central High School football team.
During the third quarter, however, everything changed. As seen in a video obtained by the outlet, shared by the 15-year-old’s mother, Courtney Mims, a Kalamazoo Central player wearing number 73 jumps on top of him.
“And I at 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,” Mims told the outlet. “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.”
The 15-year-old was transported to a local hospital. There, doctors found out that he had broken his spine in two places. While he has since been released from the hospital and is currently recovering at home, he will miss the rest of the season. Furthermore, according to Mims, her son may never play football again.
“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,” the mother added. “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.”
Statements
WSBT contacted the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which responded, “We are aware of the situation you’re describing. We’ve talked to both schools, and they are resolving this issue internally.”
Meanwhile, the incident was addressed by the Kalamazoo Central High School via a Facebook statement. The school called the student’s actions a “poor choice,” adding that he was “acting on a social media video not connected to our team or coaches.”
“The behavior was addressed, and the student has received consequences consistent with the Kalamazoo Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and in compliance with MHSAA regulations,” the school said.
In a follow-up comment, the school’s principal appears to criticize the comments that seemed to attack the teen student.
“These are young people still learning and growing and they deserve to be treated with dignity, even when a poor decision has serious consequences,” the principal wrote. “Lives were changed in a single moment, and I am devastated that a child was injured. There must be accountability, there must be consequences, and there must also be room for learning, healing, and moving forward.”