A high school football player from the Florida panhandle died after collapsing during an away game on Friday, school officials said.
Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School, fell to the ground just before halftime during a game at Liberty County High School in Bristol, Fla., Port St. Joe principal Sissy Godwin confirmed to NPR on Saturday.
Gainer was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to an area hospital, she said. He’d just celebrated his 18th birthday last month.
Gulf District Schools Superintendent Jim Norton said in a statement that Gainer’s death was a “tragic loss.”
"He was a remarkable athlete, a beloved teammate, and an overall exceptional young man who loved Jesus," Norton said.
He described Gainer as quiet “but exuded captivating warmth and genuineness that drew people to him.”
Principal Godwin said of Gainer, “You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room.”
School staff, friends and clergy from the small, tight-knit community gathered at the high school after his death to support Gainer’s family, who joined them, the school statement said.
“We want the Gainer family to feel that they are not alone in this heartbreaking moment,” Norton said in the statement.
It’s the latest tragedy in a string of recent deaths of young football players. At least seven other athletes in middle school and high school programs died last month, at practices, games or after practice and many under hot weather conditions. Two of the deaths involved head injuries.
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