Tragic Loss in New Brockton, Alabama: Football Player Dies During Practice
New Brockton, Alabama – The community is mourning the loss of Semaj Wilkins, a 14-year-old freshman at New Brockton High School, who collapsed during football practice on August 13. According to the Coffee County Coroner’s Office, Semaj suffered a medical emergency on the field and was declared “unresponsive” before being rushed to a local hospital.
On Thursday, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences completed an autopsy and revealed that Semaj died from congestive heart failure due to cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy, stemming from a coronary anomaly. This classification of death was deemed natural, underscoring the seriousness of heart conditions even in young athletes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiomegaly refers to an enlarged heart, while ventricular hypertrophy involves thickening of the heart walls, which can impede the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood.
Semaj was among seven high school and middle school football players who tragically lost their lives in August alone. His death has sparked increased concerns about player safety and health protocols in youth sports. Other young athletes who have died this past month include 13-year-old Cohen Craddock from West Virginia and 15-year-old Ovet Gomez-Regalado from Maryland, among others. The causes of these deaths ranged from heatstroke to head injuries.
In a statement shared online, Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb expressed profound sadness over Semaj’s passing, stating, “Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members.” His unexpected death is a painful reminder of the importance of taking sports safety seriously.
The rising number of deaths in youth football has prompted parents and advocates to voice their concerns regarding player health and safety measures. As football season continues, the community is urged to pay greater attention to physical preparedness and monitoring during practices to help prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
