A 17-year-old high school football player from Sharon Springs, Kansas, died on Wednesday after collapsing on the field during a game Tuesday night.
This is at least the eighth reported high school football death since September.
Luke Schemm of Wallace County High School collapsed soon after scoring on a two-point conversion. Schemm was unresponsive after collapsing. According to CBS affiliate KWCH, the teen was eventually airlifted to Denver.
In a Facebook status Wednesday morning, his father David Schemm informed people of his son's death. Schemm mentioned that Luke had suffered trauma to his brain, "causing it to swell an[d] shut off blood flow to the brain."
After the news of his death, Wallace County Athletics' Twitter account tweeted out, "We'll miss you, Luke," with the picture of Schemm in his football uniform.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association told The Wichita Eagle that game officials said they didn’t see Schemm "sustain any head or neck contact during the game."
The dangers high school football players face have received increased national attention as a result of the string of football-related deaths this year. As The Huffington Post previously reported, the number of high school football-related deaths has remained consistent over the past 35 years despite advancements in our understanding of brain trauma and player safety.
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