Alabama high school football player, 14, died from heart condition, autopsy reveals
The cause of death of an Alabama high school football player who died after collapsing during a practice in August has been revealed, according to the Coffee County Coroner’s Office.
Semaj Wilkins, a 14-year-old freshman at New Brockton High School, suffered a medical emergency during football practice on Aug. 13. According to the coroner’s report, he collapsed and was “unresponsive” before being taken to an area hospital.
Semaj was one of seven football-related deaths in the month of August. (iStock)
Semaj tragically died, and on Thursday an autopsy performed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined that his cause of death was congestive heart failure due to cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy, resulting from a coronary anomaly.
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The death was classified as natural.
The Mayo Clinic’s website defines cardiomegaly as an enlarged heart, and ventricular hypertrophy as a thickening of the heart walls. The condition can cause the heart to fail to pump blood efficiently.
Pads and helmets during football practice. (Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA Today Network)
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“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members. His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him,” Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb wrote in a statement on Facebook at the time of his passing.
Semaj was one of seven football-related deaths in the month of August, prompting warnings from parents and others to take sports safety measures more seriously.
The middle and high school football players who died in August include 13-year-old Cohen Craddock of West Virginia, 16-year-old Caden Tellier of Alabama, 15-year-old Robert James Gillon III of Florida, 15-year-old Javion Taylor of Virginia, 15-year-old Ovet Gomez-Regalado of Maryland, 14-year-old Semaj Wilkins of Alabama, and 16-year-old Leslie Noble of Maryland. (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM/ Facebook/ GoFundMe/ Selma Funeral Home)
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The circumstances of their deaths ranged from heatstroke to chest pains to head injuries.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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