California high school football player dies two weeks after injury

The unnamed player was on the South East High School JV football team

A 16-year-old JV high school football player /

Story updated 12:45 p.m., 9-6-2024
A California junior varsity high school football player was pronounced dead Wednesday, two weeks after he was severely injured while making a tackle during a game. 

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the unnamed 16-year-old South East High School player was taken by ambulance to an emergency room while the rest of the Aug. 23 game against Maywood was called off. 

In a message sent out to the school community Wednesday, South East principal Eric Jaimes wrote: “On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences. At this time, we request that the privacy of those who have been impacted be respected during this difficult time. Please know that our entire school community offers our support.

“Every member of the South East High School community matters and this loss impacts us all. Our school has crisis counselors available to any student who may need additional support. Students may also reach out to teachers, counselors or school staff for additional information about available support resources. The death of someone close to us can affect us deeply.”

South East High School is in the Los Angeles Unified School District and competes in the CIF LA City Section.

On Friday, officials from the LA City Section offered their condolences: "We are saddened and heartbroken to learn about the passing of a South East High School student-athlete. We extend our sincere condolences to the young man’s family, the South East football program, and the South East school community.

"The CIF Los Angeles City Section deeply cares about the health and well-being of its student-athletes. We mourn with the South East community and will support them in the difficult days ahead. We wish strength and comfort to everyone who has been affected by this unfortunate loss of life.”

The announcement of the player's passing came the same day that the Baltimore Sun reported new safety concerns since the deaths of six high school football players around the country in August alone.

Two of those deaths took place in Alabama and one each occurred in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Kansas. Four of those deaths were tied to excessive heat. 

Safety concerns around football have been around since the advent of the game, with the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research tracking fatalities since as early as 1931. The vast majority of those have occurred in middle and high schools. 

According to a NCCSIR report, there were six deaths total in that age group in all of 2023. 

The National Federation of State High School Association has done exhaustive studies and offered endless preventative measures to address heat-related issues. The Korey Stringer Institute remains a source to combat heat stroke since the passing of the Minnesota Vikings’ All-Pro guard in 2001. 

A head injury, which took the life of Morgan Academy (Ala.) quarterback Caden Tellier on Aug. 24, brought to light the continued concerns over contact to the brain.