A 14-year-old football player from Alabama passed away on Tuesday after collapsing during practice. Semaj Wilkins, a freshman at New Brockton High School, experienced a medical emergency early in the session, according to Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham.
Wilkins received CPR on the field before being transported to a hospital. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and an autopsy by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is expected to take several weeks for results.
Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb expressed condolences on Facebook, stating that Semaj had brought joy and inspiration to those around him, and his loss would be profoundly felt in the community.
New Brockton, home to roughly 1,400 residents, is located about 80 miles south of Montgomery. A vigil is scheduled for Friday evening at the high school’s football stadium to honor Wilkins and pay tribute to his mother.
His mother, Regena Johnson-Adams, described Semaj as one of the most caring and outgoing individuals she knew, saying he was excited about playing high school football. “He just had a love for sports, period,” she told local news.
Wilkins had recently updated his Facebook profile to feature a picture of him in his new high school football uniform. The temperature during the practice reached 96 degrees with a higher heat index.
Coroner Woodham noted that Semaj collapsed early in practice, suggesting the possibility of an underlying medical condition, but emphasized that no conclusions would be drawn until the autopsy report is finalized. He remarked on the challenging impact of the loss in a small community where everyone knows each other.