15-Year-Old HS Football Player Collapses on Practice Field; Adds to Staggering Number of Player Deaths in 2024

The death of Mebane marks the ninth school-aged football death since the beginning of the 2024 season. Three of the deaths came from suspected brain injuries while the rest have come from overheating/hydration issues during intense practices.

Mebane collapsed on his way out to practice and the athletic trainer at Cummings HS was on this scene to provide CPR until EMS got there. Mebane was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

Mebane was in the midst of his first varsity football season ever at 15-years-old. Practice Tuesday was canceled and the status of Cummings HS’s Friday game is up in the air. The Alamance-Burlington School System issued a statement in an article from MyFox8.

“Our District and the school community are heartbroken by this tragic loss. Malik Mebane was a student, an athlete, and a part of our community. As a district, we are committed to supporting our students as they begin to process and cope with their grief. We have a team of counselors and support staff at the school to help our students during this difficult time. We’d like to thank the community for their outpouring of love and support for the school and our students as we continue to keep the family and friends of Malik in our thoughts.”

While severe injuries and death from football can come in many shapes and forms, the president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association A.J. Duffy III explains that there are steps parents should take to ensure the safety of their child before they go participate in the extremely dangerous sport of football.

Whether it is heat-related or head-injury-related, Duffy says parents should know what kind of emergency plans are in place in case a child requires that plan in an article from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Where is the ambulance coming from?” Duffy said. “Who will call it? If it’s heat-related, is there a cold plunge available? It’s important to know if there is an (automated external defibrillator) nearby. How easily accessible is that AED?

“Are there individuals trained in hand-only CPR? What training is there for coaches? What are the polices when it comes to heat illness and return-to-play if someone has a concussion?”

The death of anyone trying to play a sport in high school is always tragic and unexpected, but the near double-digit death numbers of school-aged football players in 2024 may force parents to take extra caution before allowing their children to play football at any given establishment.