Football games are usually all about fun and youthful energy. But lately, it seems like tragedy is overshadowing the good vibes. Monday, October 14, was one of those days when the game wasn’t about joy or excitement. Instead, a heartbreaking incident took place during a football game at Harvard High School.

The Columbus Day holiday took a tragic turn, highlighting the ongoing safety concerns in the US’s favorite sport. Now, this incident comes just after a similar catastrophic event that took the life of an Alabama teen back in August. And look here we are at the same place, two months later.  

Serious injury casts shadow on Harvard High School football game

October 14 was a regular Monday when the students of Harvard High School were busy in action, facing off against Marengo High School. One hour into their game, among Harvard’s junior varsity team, a teenager suffered a “traumatic head injury,” as per the information from the communication specialist for Harvard Fire Protection District, Alex Vucha. The paramedics soon rushed to the spot at around 11:10 a.m. only to find after assessing that the teenager needed some serious medical support.

Well, at that point in time, the student was conscious. However, carrying him to the hospital by road would have taken long hours, which the medical professionals could not afford to lose at such a crucial time. So they had a plan B ready. If not road, they decided to transport the injured teen by air. And as planned they requested a medical helicopter that landed at the Mercyhealth Harvard Hospital helipad. 

As Vucca raised his concerns, “His injuries are potentially serious,” the Harvard high school teen was airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. As the young chap fights for his life, this is something that has become a common affair. 

The growing threat to young athletes

The Harvard High School incident on the Columbus Day night is one of the many mishaps that have transpired over the past couple of months. Back in August, Alabama’s 16-year-old Caden Tellier passed away after suffering a “severe” brain injury. On August 23, the teen was part of the John T Morgan Academy, which was facing off against the visiting Southern Academy in Selma. He suffered a deadly injury during the school’s season-opening game and passed away after reaching the hospital.

The young soul played as a quarterback and his demise had left the community in a state of shock. Surprisingly, Tellier’s death marked the fourth fatal incident that took place across Alabama, Kansas, and Virginia within a short time span. That being said, it’s high time that the athletic board officials take the matter into their own hands before it gets too late.

“The brutal fact [is] that every time we watch football, we are actually witnessing players suffer life-altering head trauma – harm that is essentially invisible to us for it occurs inside the helmet and skull,” highlighted professor Nathan Kalman-Lamb of the University of New Brunswick along with Derek Silva of King’s University College. Now, the Harvard High School mishap puts sports safety under the microscope yet again.