Chicago High School Football Player Dies After Injury Suffered on Final Play of Blowout Loss
By Kyle Koster
A high school football player in Chicago has died from injuries sustained in a game last week. Andre Smith, 17, hit his head on the ground after being blocked on the final play of his team’s 78-22 playoff loss. He was able to walk off the field but collapsed moments later.
A medical examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt force head trauma.
"“Out of all the things people can live and die from, I never thought it would be something as simple as that,” [his brother] Erick Smith said. “You understand the risk, but it’s a game, you know, it’s a game. The kids have played this for years,” said Dwayne Smith, stepfather. "
Smith is the seventh high school football player to die this season.
Over the weekend the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines aimed at making youth football safer. The recommendations include a zero-tolerance policy for helmet-first tackles, more trainers on the sidelines and offering more non-tackle games as an alternative.
An average of 12.2 high school and college players died during practices or games from 1990 to 2010. This number is down from previous decades. From 1966 to 1976 the death toll exceeded 20 in three separate years — including 26 in 1968.