The new school year has started with tragedy at two Alabama high schools, where teenage football players have died in the past two weeks.
On Friday, Caden Tellier, 16, suffered a severe head injury while playing quarterback in the opening game for John T. Morgan Academy in Selma. His death was announced the next day.
On the same day Tellier鈥檚 death was confirmed, a funeral was being held for another high school football player, some 115 miles southeast of Selma. Semaj Wilkins, 14, died after having a medical emergency during a practice at New Brockton High School.
Caden Tellier died over the weekend
Tellier was 鈥渋n the hospital in critical condition with a brain injury鈥� after Friday night鈥檚 game against Southern Academy, from Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McLendon.
McLendon did not give further details about Tellier鈥檚 condition, or how he was injured.
Tellier, a junior who and rushing yards last year, ran for a touchdown in the first half of Friday night鈥檚 game, but he went down with an injury in the third quarter, according to the . An ambulance was brought onto the field to take the quarterback to the hospital.
Tellier was 鈥渁 shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy,鈥� school headmaster Bryan Oliver . 鈥淗e was a student, a friend, an athlete and most important a Christ follower.
At a prayer event for the Tellier family on Monday, his father, Jamie Tellier, who is a football coach at Morgan Academy, said his family is thankful for the support it has received.
鈥淭he outpouring of love that we have received from everyone in this room, and people across the country that we鈥檝e never even met, should tell you a lot about who my son was -- who my son is,鈥� Jamie Tellier said.
Semaj Wilkins died on Aug. 13
Semaj Wilkins joined New Brockton High School鈥檚 team after playing for Enterprise High School while in junior high last year. He was a running back who could run the ball at the line of scrimmage or roll out to catch a pass, as seen in videos on his .
Semaj collapsed during an afternoon practice on a hot day, with a high temperature of . Officials called his mother, Regina Johnson-Adams, to alert her.
鈥淚 panicked. I grabbed everything I could think of and ran out,鈥� Adams . 鈥淎nd I got to that field, and I was devastated because they wouldn鈥檛 let me get to my baby.鈥�
An emergency team took Wilkins to Medical Center Enterprise, less than 10 miles away. But he didn鈥檛 survive. His high school for Semaj one week before its season began.
鈥淪emaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members. His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him,鈥� Kelly Cobb, superintendent of Coffee County Schools, .
Cobb added that the county sheriff鈥檚 department and district attorney are investigating what led to Wilkins鈥� death, in what was described as a standard procedure given the circumstances.
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