De'Antre Turman, a standout high school football player in Georgia, tragically died after being injured during a scrimmage on Friday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and various media reports. The Fulton County medical examiner's office revealed that the 16-year-old suffered a broken neck and his third cervical vertebra was fractured, CBS Atlanta reported.
A junior at Creekside High School in suburban Atlanta, Turman was injured while tackling a receiver during the scrimmage against Banneker High School, according to witnesses.
"He tackled the guy. It was just a hard hit - regular hit that he's made 1,000 times," Kenneth Turman, De'Antre's uncle, told CBS Atlanta.
Glenn Ford, who had coached Turman as part of the i-DareU program, told WSBV TV in Atlanta that the player "just immediately went unconscious" after the tackle. Turman was transported to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead.
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The 5' 11" cornerback had received a scholarship offer from the University of Kentucky, per 247sports.com. He was one of the top prospects in the Class of 2015 in Georgia, according to The Sporting News.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of this student,” Fulton County school system spokeswoman Samantha Evans said in a statement released to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is a truly horrific way to begin a school year.”
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