Alabama high school football player dies after suffering injury during game: "Lives have been touched by the way he lived"
An Alabama high school football player died after he was critically injured during a game on Friday.
Caden Tellier, a 16-year-old junior at Morgan Academy, was hurt following a tackle in the third quarter of the school's game Friday night against Southern Academy in Selma. The school's headmaster, Bryan Oliver, confirmed to CBS News that the quarterback suffered a brain injury. He was flown to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital Friday night.
The boy's family announced his death on social media.
"Our boy, Caden Tellier has met Jesus face to face. We appreciate all of your prayers, and we covet them for the hard days ahead," their statement on Facebook said. "Everyone who knows Caden has known kindness, generosity and love, and true to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time. Lives have been touched by the way he lived and now lives will be saved through his passing."
Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McClendon told CBS News in a statement Sunday that "it is believed that Caden suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain following a routine play in which he was carrying the ball and was tackled to the ground," but noted the school was "still in the process of gathering details about the accident" and that "it may be quite a while before we know more information regarding his injury."
In a statement on the school's Facebook page, Oliver also confirmed the teen's death, saying he was a "shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy."
"There are no words to describe how we feel as a school community and family," the statement said. "Caden will never be forgotten for who he was and what he means to Morgan Academy."
The school is canceling all sports activities for the coming week, including this Friday's scheduled football game at Wilcox Academy, Oliver said.
