Kentucky high school football player dies from brain injury after hitting his head during practice

A Kentucky high school football player who suffered a head injury during a scrimmage last week has died, officials confirmed.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association said Monday in a statement shared on social media that it joined family, friends and teammates in mourning the loss of Pulaski County High School varsity football player Andrew Dodson.

"No words can explain, justify or rationalize tragedies such as these," the association wrote alongside a picture of Dodson wearing his team uniform.

"KHSAA is a family of its member schools, their administrators, coaches, teachers and fans. But most importantly and as the primary focus, the student-athletes. Andrew Dodson was a member of this family," the statement said in addition. "Today, we all mourn with his family, friends, teammates and the entire KHSAA family, the loss of this young man."

Dodson played tight end and defensive end for the Maroons football team during his junior season at Pulaski County High School, CBS affiliate WKYT reported. 

"You are just stunned. For the community, for the entire high school athletics family. Which is such a huge part of the fabric of our state," said Julian Tackett, who is on staff at the athletic association, while speaking to WKYT about the football player's death.

"You hear of all the concussions, helmet-to-helmet, from what we are hearing that was not the case," Tackett said, according to the news station.

Alan Dodson, Andrew Dodson's father, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that his son was running the ball during his team's spring game on Friday when he was tackled by a teammate. He noted that his son was wearing a helmet when it happened, the newspaper reported.

"It was not a violent hit or helmet-to-helmet. It was a simple, clean tackle," Alan Dodson said, according to the Herald-Leader. 

"His head hit the turf, and Andrew suffered blunt-force trauma to the brain," he told the newspaper on Sunday night. "He had a major surgery to relieve the pressure and has never awakened. He has been fight(ing) for his life on total life support."

The University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops shared his condolences in the wake of Dodson's death.

"Our sympathies and prayers are with the family, friends and teammates of Andrew Dodson, a member of the Pulaski County football team," Stoops wrote on Twitter. "We are heartbroken by this tragedy and are deeply sorry for your loss."

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