Autopsy Shows Teen Football Player Died from Head Injury

Chrissie Cole

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

An eighth-grade running back for North Lincoln Middle School who collapsed during a football game last week, died due to a head injury, according to the medical examiner's office.

An investigator with the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's office, said his death was due to acute subdural hematoma -- a condition caused by head trauma. Basically this confirms he had no pre-existing condition that contributed to his death.

The accident happened during a football game, Wednesday. He carried the ball, got tackled and walked to the sidelines where he fell. He died the next day.

Monday, it still remained unclear as to what happened on the sidelines. Records show a call was made to 911 at 6:22 p.m. An ambulance showed up four minutes later to find him unconscious, displaying symptoms of brain trauma.

The equipment Will was wearing during the game was refurbished, but it had been X-rayed before the start of the football season, Lincoln County School spokeswoman Belinda Branson said Monday.

Branson could not immediately name the company that reconditions the equipment, but she said the district doesn't use equipment with hairline fractures or other defects.

"It is (Lincoln County Schools) policy that all high school football equipment is refurbished every year. Middle schools' equipment is refurbished every two years," Branson said.

The full autopsy report will not be available for weeks.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Head and Brain Injury.