More Young Football Players Hospitalized Amid Extreme Heat

Football season is about to begin, which means high school, college and professional football players are training in the summer heat. Because of that, the weather tends to take a toll on a few players, leading to them being hospitalized, or worse. According to the Sacramento Bee, a high school football player from Sacramento, California collapsed during a scrimmage this past weekend and was sent to the ICU. Trevor Loveall, a two-way lineman from Capital Christian was the player who collapsed, and it took several moments to get his pulse and maintain it. He was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where a CT scan was clear. 

“Trevor’s vital signs are good. He’s stable and he’s in ICU,” Capital Christian head coach and athletic director Aaron Garcia said. “He’s not completely out of the woods yet. Nobody is really sure yet what happened. I talked to his family a lot, and they feel good about the future of his life and physical ability, but we’re all confused about what happened.”

Last week, six players from Albany State University in Albany, Georgia, experienced fatigue-related symptoms during practice. They were transported to a local hospital and were recovering at the time. Albany State said in a statement, “We are grateful to our dedicated coaches, athletic trainers, and the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital staff for their diligence in recognizing the signs for help and responding promptly. Albany State University will continue to take precautions for the safety of our campus community as the Southwest Georgia region continues to experience excessive heat.”

Earlier this month, Myzelle Law, a defensive lineman at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas died at the age of 19 after sustaining head-related injuries at practice. During practice on July 22, Law collided with another defensive lineman and went to the locker room. He was discovered minutes later experiencing seizure-like symptoms with his body temperature reaching 108 degrees. He died on July 30. 

Robert Bush, a lineman from Newfield High School in New York, collapsed during practice in July and died at the age of 17. The family said that his kidneys and liver were donated to three female recipients.

And back in May, Luke Gabe, a high school football player from Gainesville, Florida suffered cardiac arrest during practice. The 14-year-old has since recovered and recently returned to Saint Francis Catholic Academy. The Luke Strong Facebook post said: “He will be tired at first because his body has been deconditioned, doctor’s orders, but I’m sure Luke will adjust quickly. Say a prayer it all goes smoothly.”