Teammate shares La. prep player's last words to him as investigation continues into death after play, C.J. Heckard was among Tyrell Cameron’s closest friends. They both played defense for the Franklin Parish High football team in Winnsboro, La., and were joking around before Friday’s night game, as they usually did.
Saturday morning, Heckard was left to remember his friend after Cameron died following an injury on a punt return against Sterlington suffered in the fourth quarter.
Cameron, a 16-year-old sophomore, was taken off the field on a stretcher and rushed to Franklin Medical, where he was pronounced dead.
“The last words he said to me were, ‘Show me something, C.J.,’ and I made a big hit in the game,” Heckard told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday. “We would always joke around with each other talking about who would have the most tackles and the end of the game, and that’s what I liked about him. He was highly competitive.”
The cause of death has not been determined pending an autopsy. KNOE reported that Cameron suffered a broken neck, but Johnny Ogden, an investigator for the coroner’s office, said that has not been confirmed.
Ogden said the autopsy is scheduled for later Saturday or early Sunday.
“He had a collision with another player and collapsed,” Ogden told USA TODAY Sports. “Life-saving measures were performed and CPR was performed, but he was pronounced dead (at the hospital).”
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, five players died last season of causes directly related to football such as head and spine injuries. Seven more high school players died from indirect causes such as heatstroke.
Odgen said the coroner’s will interview witnesses and look at any video of the play to gather information to help determine what happened.
Heckard described Cameron as a “good player, friend and pretty outgoing fella.”
“My brother Tyrell Cameron will truly be missed,” he said.
Saturday morning, Heckard was left to remember his friend after Cameron died following an injury on a punt return against Sterlington suffered in the fourth quarter.
Cameron, a 16-year-old sophomore, was taken off the field on a stretcher and rushed to Franklin Medical, where he was pronounced dead.
“The last words he said to me were, ‘Show me something, C.J.,’ and I made a big hit in the game,” Heckard told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday. “We would always joke around with each other talking about who would have the most tackles and the end of the game, and that’s what I liked about him. He was highly competitive.”
The cause of death has not been determined pending an autopsy. KNOE reported that Cameron suffered a broken neck, but Johnny Ogden, an investigator for the coroner’s office, said that has not been confirmed.
Ogden said the autopsy is scheduled for later Saturday or early Sunday.
“He had a collision with another player and collapsed,” Ogden told USA TODAY Sports. “Life-saving measures were performed and CPR was performed, but he was pronounced dead (at the hospital).”
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, five players died last season of causes directly related to football such as head and spine injuries. Seven more high school players died from indirect causes such as heatstroke.
Odgen said the coroner’s will interview witnesses and look at any video of the play to gather information to help determine what happened.
Heckard described Cameron as a “good player, friend and pretty outgoing fella.”
“My brother Tyrell Cameron will truly be missed,” he said.
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment