Popular player for Alto (Texas) collapses on sideline and dies a day later in hospital.
A Texas community and the entire state are mourning another death of a high school football player following a collapse on the field.
Cam'ron Mattews, a junior at
Alto (Texas), fell on the sideline in the first half of a game with Carlisle on Friday and was airlifted to a hospital in Tyler, where he remained in critical condition before passing away at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Cam'ron Matthews
Courtesy of gofundme.com
The cause of death is not known. Multiple reports indicate Cam'ron mentioned to teammates in the huddle of feeling dizzy before later collapsing. He is listed as a 6-foot wide receiver, quarterback and strong safety on the MaxPreps roster.
The game was postponed and Alto students, players and its community held a vigil on the football field Saturday night. According to reports, the stadium was packed. Cam'ron was 16.
A
gofundme page has been set up in his name.
"It is with our deepest sorrow to inform our district and community of the passing of Cam'ron Matthews," a statement on the Alto Independent School District website reads. "Please keep the Matthews family, our school and community in your prayers. He touched many hearts and will be deeply missed."
Alto ISD Superintendent Kerry Birdwell told
ksla.com, "When you have your own kids, and you want them to emulate someone and follow in their footsteps, Cam'ron was a perfect example of that. He was a great kid in the classroom, unbelievable athlete, but more importantly just a great, great kid."
According to this
New York Daily News report, Cam'ron is the sixth player nationally to perish this season after collapsing on the field. They other five:
Kenney Bui, 17, of
Evergreen (Seattle)Tyrell Cameron, 16, of
Franklin Parish (Winnsboro, La.)Ben Hamm, 16, of
Wesleyan Christian (Bartlesville, Okla.)
Evan Murray, 17, of
Warren Hills Regional (Washington, N.J.) Rod Williams, 17, of
Burke County (Waynesboro, Ga.), who collapsed at practice.
The Daily News reported that an average of three high school football players die every year from injuries on the field, according to the University of North Carolina's National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.
