football player, 14, dies after collapsing during practice in Alabama

NEW BROCKTON, Ala. (AP) —

A 14-year-old football player in Alabama died Tuesday after collapsing during afternoon practice.

Semaj Wilkins, a freshman at New Brockton High School, suffered a medical emergency early in practice Tuesday afternoon, Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham said.

Wilkins was given CPR on the field and taken to a hospital.

The cause of the teenager’s death was not immediately known. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences will conduct an autopsy and it will likely take several weeks to receive those findings, Woodham said.

“Semaj 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,” Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb wrote in a statement on Facebook.

New Brockton is a town of about 1,400 people located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Montgomery.

A vigil will be held Friday night at the New Brockton High School’s football stadium to remember Wilkins and honor his mother.

Wilkins’ mother, Regena Johnson-Adams, told WDHN that her son was one of the most caring and outgoing people she has ever met. He was eager to play high school football, she said.

“He just had a love for sports, period,” she told the station.

The teen had recently updated his Facebook profile to a photograph of himself on the field wearing his new high school football uniform.

Temperatures in the area on Tuesday afternoon reached 96 degrees (35 Celsius) with an even higher heat index, according to National Weather Service data.

Woodham said the player fell early early in the practice and the circumstances suggest the possibility of an underlying medical issue. But he said he would not know until the autopsy report is complete.

“We will not make a determination until we have the final report,” Woodham said.

He said the loss was difficult for the community.

“The New Brockton community is very small. Being in a small rural town in southeast Alabama, everybody knows everybody,” Woodham said.

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