Florida high school football player dies after collapsing during game

A high school football player in Florida died after collapsing on the field during a Friday night game — making him the seventh youth athlete playing the sport to die over the last month.

Chance Gainer, a senior cornerback at Port St. Joe High School, was less than a month removed from his 18th birthday when he passed out just before halftime during a game Friday against Liberty County High School in Bristol, Florida, according to NPR.

He’d been running toward a play that was developing on the other side of the field when he collapsed, said Tim Davis, Port St. Joe’s athletic director and vice principal.

“He just went to the ground suddenly,” Davis said.

Coaches sprinted onto the field then called for paramedics. They brought Gainer to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

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The talented player had been having a remarkable season so far — he’d scored a 70-yard-touchdown earlier in Friday’s contest, and had brought a kickoff return back 83 yards for a score last week.

The teams finished the game, which Port St. Joe won 28-0. But then Gainer’s teammates were told of his death.

“The scene was heartbreaking,” Davis said. “Parents came down on the field to comfort their kids. Such a helpless feeling.”

Family, friends and school employees gathered at the school after the horrific tragedy in a show of support for Gainer’s bereaved family — who joined them as well, NPR said.

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“We want the Gainer family to feel that they are not alone in this heartbreaking moment,” Gulf District Schools Superintendent Jim Norton said in a statement.

“He was a remarkable athlete, a beloved teammate, and an overall exceptional young man who loved Jesus,” Norton said, adding that although Gainer was quiet, he “exuded captivating warmth and genuineness that drew people to him.”

“He is an exceptional young man that you can make a hero out of,” Norton said, according to CNN . “I would call Chance a friend.”

Port St. Joe’s principal, Sissy Godwin, agreed, saying, “You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room.”

Gainer, a senior honor student, was considering going to Vanderbilt University — and he’d recently visited the campus, Norton said.

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The superintendent added that Gainer had “world-class speed, but more importantly, had a world-class personality.”

A GoFundMe set up to benefit his family said Gainer was “not only a star athlete, but a well-loved classmate.”

“A team, a school, a community and most importantly, a family is truly devastated by the loss of Chance,” the fundraiser said. “Your involvement not only provides financial support but also shows a heartwarming community spirit that we value so much.”

As of Monday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $65,000 out of its $75,000 goal.

Gainer’s tragic end is the latest in a series of high school football player deaths across the country.

Last week, the National Federation of State High School Associations said six student-athletes had died during the last month.

Two of them reportedly died after severe head injuries, while four more died from heart issues.

With Post wires

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