Xavier McClain.Photo: Derek Armstead/Instagram
A high school student-athlete in New Jersey has died nearly two weeks after he suffered a traumatic brain injury during a football game.
“Together we prayed for a miracle and hoped for a different outcome. I trust that God knows better. HE needed an angel and decided to call Xavier home to be with HIM,” Armstead wrote in a post Wednesday. “With your prayers, Xavier fought a good fight. In the end, he succumbed to the injuries that he sustained a couple weeks ago while playing football during the LHS Tigers' game vs Woodbridge.”
“This news hurts because I have known his parents, Lisa and Norm for years, Xavier and Andres, their two sons, since they were little boys,” Armstead continued. “My wife and I spend time in their home and our children played together. Tragically, their worst fear came true.”
“Norm and Lisa are devastated. Children are supposed to outlive their parents, not the other way around,” he added.
McClain, a sophomore at Linden High School, sustained an injury while returning a kickoff at the start of the game’s second half on Sept. 9, according toNJ.comandTMZ, which cited witnesses at the game who could not speak about the incident publicly. Game video shows that play stopped and an ambulance took to the Linden High School sideline for about 10 minutes, according to NJ.com.
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The Linden Public School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment Thursday.
TheNFLhas changed rules regarding kickoffs multiple times in recent years in attempts to reduce injuries during these plays.
On Thursday, NJ.com described McClain as “a budding star” on both sides of the ball for the school’s football team as he made his way through his sophomore year.
Linden High School has a game scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, according to NJ.com. It is unclear whether the school intends to play the game.
source: people.com
