REMEMBERING THE JUNIOR QB? WELL, GUY, IN FACT, THERE WAS A MEMORIAL HELD AT THE MORGAN ACADEMY GYM TODAY. HIS GRANDMOTHER DESCRIBED TAYLOR AS A CARING, SELFLESS TEEN WHO WOULD NEVER ACCEPT MONEY FOR HIS CHORES. NOW HIS TRAGIC DEATH IS SPOTLIGHTING THE RISKS OF HEAD INJURIES ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. CADEN TAYLOR WAS KICKING OFF HIS JUNIOR SEASON AS THE STARTING QUARTERBACK FOR MORGAN ACADEMY DURING A PLAY AGAINST SOUTHERN ACADEMY ON FRIDAY. HE SUFFERED A SEVERE HEAD INJURY DURING A PLAY AND LATER DIED. I WAS DEVASTATED. I SAID, A PRAYER FOR HIM AND FOR THE FAMILY AND I WAS VERY SAD BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO STOP. DOCTOR JOE ACKERSON IS A LEADING PEDIATRIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST AND HAS WORKED ON THE STATEWIDE SPORTS CONCUSSION TASK FORCE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AUBURN HEAD FOOTBALL COACH HUGH FREEZE EVEN TOOK A MOMENT TODAY TO SEND HIS CONDOLENCES TO TAYLOR’S FAMILY. JUST CAN’T IMAGINE THE THE DIFFICULTY THAT THEY’RE THAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH. SO OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM. ACKERSON SAID FOAM SHELLED PRACTICE HELMETS SOME TEAMS USE HAVE HELPED CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF POST-CONCUSSION PATIENTS HE HAS SEEN, BUT THE VIOLENT FORCE BETWEEN TWO PLAYERS CAN STILL CAUSE EXTREME DAMAGE. YOU CAN HAVE MASSIVE STROKES BECAUSE A CERTAIN BLOW WILL ACTUALLY CUT OFF THE BLOOD FLOW FROM THE CAROTID ARTERY, AND THEN THE BLOOD’S NOT GETTING TO THE BRAIN. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CAN REMEMBER A PLAYER DYING ON A FOOTBALL FIELD? IN ALABAMA? I DON’T KNOW IF I’VE HEARD OF ONE FROM A BRAIN INJURY EVER. DOCTOR ACKERSON SAID HIS TASK FORCE HELPED PASS A LAW IN 2011 REQUIRING ALL ATHLETIC GROUPS TO TEACH COACHES AND PLAYERS HOW TO REACT TO CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU SURVIVE THIS AND GET OUT, AND YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE COMPLETELY OKAY. YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND GET OUT. MORGAN ACADEMY HAS CANCELED ALL SPORTING EVENTS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING FRIDAY’S FOOTBALL GAME WITH WILCOX COUNTY. WELL, THE COMMUNITY HAS FORMED A GOFUNDME PAGE TO HELP TAYLOR’S FAMILY WITH MEDICAL AND BURIAL EXPENSES.
Alabama high school football player's death highlights football head injury risks
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Updated: 5:25 AM CDT Aug 27, 2024
Caden Tellier was kicking off his junior season as the starting quarterback Friday for Morgan Academy in Selma, Alabama.During a play, he suffered a severe head injury and later died. “I was devastated. I said a prayer for him and for the family. And I was very sad because that is exactly what we're trying to stop,” Dr. Joe Ackerson said.Ackerson is a leading pediatric neuropsychologist and has worked on the Alabama Sports Concussion Taskforce for more than a decade.Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze even took a moment Monday to offer his own condolences.“Just can't imagine the difficulty they're going through, so our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Freeze said.Ackerson said foam-shelled practice helmets teams use have helped cut down on the number of post-concussion patients he is seeing these days. However, the violent force between two players can still cause extreme damage.“You can have massive strokes because a certain blow will actually cut off the blood flow from the carotid artery. And then the blood’s not getting to the brain,” Ackerson said.He claimed he could not remember any other state high school players dying from such complications suffered on the field. “In Alabama? I don't know if I've heard of one from a brain injury ever,” Ackerson said.He said his task force helped pass a state law in 2011 requiring all athletic groups to teach coaches and players how to react to concussion symptoms.“If you want to make sure you survive this and get out, and you're probably going to be completely okay, you have to recognize and get out,” Ackerson said.Morgan Academy has canceled all sporting events this week.
SELMA, Ala. — Caden Tellier was kicking off his junior season as the starting quarterback Friday for Morgan Academy in Selma, Alabama.
During a play, he suffered a severe head injury and later died.
“I was devastated. I said a prayer for him and for the family. And I was very sad because that is exactly what we're trying to stop,” Dr. Joe Ackerson said.
Ackerson is a leading pediatric neuropsychologist and has worked on the Alabama Sports Concussion Taskforce for more than a decade.
Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze even took a moment Monday to offer his own condolences.
“Just can't imagine the difficulty they're going through, so our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Freeze said.
Ackerson said foam-shelled practice helmets teams use have helped cut down on the number of post-concussion patients he is seeing these days.
However, the violent force between two players can still cause extreme damage.
“You can have massive strokes because a certain blow will actually cut off the blood flow from the carotid artery. And then the blood’s not getting to the brain,” Ackerson said.
He claimed he could not remember any other state high school players dying from such complications suffered on the field.
“In Alabama? I don't know if I've heard of one from a brain injury ever,” Ackerson said.
He said his task force helped pass a state law in 2011 requiring all athletic groups to teach coaches and players how to react to concussion symptoms.
“If you want to make sure you survive this and get out, and you're probably going to be completely okay, you have to recognize and get out,” Ackerson said.
Morgan Academy has canceled all sporting events this week.
