A high school football player in Florida died after collapsing on the field during a game Friday night, according to the school district’s superintendent.
Gulf District Schools Superintendent Jim Norton confirmed that Chance Gainer, an 18-year-old wide receiver and defensive back at Port St. Joe High School, died following the away game at Liberty County High School.
Norton described Gainer’s death as a “tragic loss” and said “our community is in profound sorrow.”
“He was a remarkable athlete, a beloved teammate, and an overall exceptional young man who loved Jesus,” Norton said in a statement from the district. “Chance was quiet but exuded captivating warmth and genuineness that drew people to him.”
Norton called Gainer’s death “perhaps the most heartbreaking situation imaginable for a family and a community.”
Port St. Joe High School Principal Sissy Godwin said in the statement that, “You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room.”
Gainer was tended to on the field after he collapsed but did not have a pulse when EMTs first arrived at the scene, NBC News affiliate WJHG reported. Medical personnel were able to find a pulse before Gainer was rushed via ambulance to a hospital in Blountstown, Florida, where he later died.
The community gathered at the high school after Gainer’s death “just to be together,” Norton said, adding that it was “an indescribably heartwarming experience to watch the community pour their hearts of love on the family and Chance’s teammates and coaches.”
Gainer was playing defensive back when he collapsed, Tim Davis, the athletic director and assistant principal for Liberty County High School, where the game was being played, told Northwest Florida Daily News.
“He just went to the ground suddenly,” Davis told the outlet. He said coaches tended to Gainer on the field before calling EMS shortly thereafter.
In a Facebook post, Davis said it was “such an emotional night as the importance of football faded away.”
A verified GoFundMe page created to support Gainer’s family described the teen as a “star athlete” and a “well loved classmate.”
“A team, a school, a community and most importantly, a family is truly devastated by the loss of Chance,” the description on the GoFundMe page reads.
The Florida High School Athletic Association extended their “heartfelt sympathy” to Gainer’s family and the Port St. Joe community in a statement on Facebook.
According to WJHG, Gainer was an honors student with a better than 4.0 grade point average. He had recently visited Vanderbilt University where he discussed potentially attending college.
Port St. Joe High School was open Saturday afternoon to offer grief support to students and members of the community, the school said on Facebook. Extra counselors will be available Monday for those who need it.
Port St. Joe High School is located in the Florida Panhandle, a little over 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee. WJHG reported that the school’s upcoming game on Friday has been postponed.
Gainer’s is not the first death of a high school football player so far this season.
At least five high school football players and one middle school player have died this season alone. Of the high school players, three died either while they were practicing or shortly thereafter, one died during a preseason workout and another died after he was tackled and hit his head during a game.
The early-season deaths have prompted renewed calls for reform in the sport.
Deon J. Hampton contributed.
