Teen football star left with broken spine after opponent jumped on him | NFL | Sport

An American high school has punished one of its own junior varsity football players after a freak injury to an opposition player. The incident left the teenager in a world of pain, with scans afterwards showing he’d fractured his spine.

It occurred at a high school in Michigan, during a game between Lakeshore and Kalamazoo Central. The injured boy was captured in social media footage lying on the ground after losing a blocking battle to an offensive lineman.

However, the shocking part came moments later when the lad remained on the turf, only for the lineman to jump in the air and land right on top of the unassuming boy. Upon checks at the hospital, it was determined he had suffered two spinal fractures as a result.

The incident garnered national news in the States, with Kalamazoo Central moving quickly to release a statement. They told Fox News: “Due to student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the specific accountability actions, but they have exceeded what (Michigan High School Athletics Association) regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behaviour.”

Whereas the school district said: “This type of behaviour is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches, and the entire school community.”

Lakeshore Public Schools’ superintendent sent a letter to students, staff, and families regarding the incident, calling it: “An intentional, unprovoked and flagrant violation of the rules and appropriate sports conduct.”

It added: “We are in regular communication with his [the injured boy’s] family regarding this matter. We have also put in place supportive measures to ensure our student athlete can continue his education while he recovers.”

Meanwhile, the distraught mother told local radio station WSBT: “As soon as it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I had to go down there. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son,’ she told the station on Friday.

“These boys are high school boys. They’re 15 years old. The game means a lot to them. It’s their whole life right now. They’re there from before I get up to go to work in the morning till after dinner, putting in the work and for somebody to try to take that from somebody doing so much is awful for me to see.”