Tennessee high school football player airlifted to hospital for the second time in as many seasons

Chuckey-Doak's Ethan Heimiller has been released and is recovering after a spinal injury, but is football career is likely over

Chuckey-Doak football player Ethan Heimiller flashes a thumbs up from his hospital bed at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, after being airlifted there following a serious hit during his team's game on Friday. He temporarily lost feeling in his legs. / WJHL 11 News

For the second times in as many seasons, Chuckey-Doak (Tennessee) high school football player Ethan Heimiller was airlifted from a game, Friday night, but fortunately he is out of the hospital and recovering.

Heimiller recounted his experience Tuesday in an exclusive interview with WJHL 11 News in Tennessee.

“I remember catching the ball, juking out of the player and then everything went black,” Heimiller said of a second quarter play that came in his team's 58-14 loss to South Greene. “But on film, it shows three guys hit me, one in the chest one in the shoulder and one in the back.”

The next thing Heimiller recalled, according to the WJHL report, was waking up on the field, as his coaches and athletic trainers tended to him. He was then place in ambulance and transported to a helecopter which lifted him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

It was an all too familiar experience for Heimiller, who was airlifted last year when he suffered a fractured sternum after absorbing a big hit in a game against West Greene High School.

“They think I hit a nerve and I wasn’t fully recovered from last year’s hit," said Heimiller. “My spine was shook. So I lost feeling in my legs because of the nerves and stuff.”

Although he is out of the hospital, Heimiller is still struggling to walk normally and has a ways to go to fully recover.

“I can lose my feeling in my legs instantly, and when I start walking my legs start buckling and stuff," he said. “They said I had a stinger, but it didn’t look as bad as everybody thought. But there is still something wrong.”

In addition to the spinal injury, Heimiller also suffered a concussion as a result of the hit. He continues to wear a neck brace and will be monitored by doctors for many months.

Although there is good reason to believe Heimiller will fully recover from his latest injuries, he likely will never play football again. In his interview, he explained why he worked so hard to return to the field this year and faced the reality his latest injury has on his future as a player.

“I’ve been playing football since I was like six. I got into it because my grandfather, he’s the one that inspired me to play football. I just wanted to always impress him and stuff. So when the first accident happened, I was like, I’m going to get back out there. I’m like, I’m going to go back, do everything.

“And in this time with this circumstance, I just don’t feel like it’s in my best interest to continue doing it. I think something worse [is] going to happen next time. I just feel like if a player has to go through this, if they feel like they’re not confident, don’t do it. It’s truly not worth it. If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t go back again.”

Heimiller further stated that he will continue to support his team and hopes to remain involved with football in the future, as a coach or a broadcaster.