Georgia high school football player injured during game dies

A Georgia high school football player died due to injuries he suffered during a game, school officials said.

Dylan Thomas, a linebacker at Pike County High School, suffered a head injury during the game last Friday. Thomas, a junior, was hit in the second quarter of the game and later collapsed on the sidelines when an arm and leg went numb, his uncle, Nick Burgess, told the Associated Press.

Thomas was rushed to WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital before being transferred to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta where he underwent surgery.

According to a Facebook post by Burgess, Thomas suffered from brain swelling and went into a coma. He died Sunday evening.

“Dylan was an active participant in our school community and a member of the Class of 2020. Please remember his family in the days ahead,” according to a statement from Michael Duncan, Superintendent of Schools, and Kevin Huffstetler, Pike County High School Principal.

News of Thomas’ death inspired friends, students and others in the community to flood social media with tributes to Thomas.

Thomas’s death comes as Tennessee State University linebacker Christion Abercrombie was sent into emergency surgery after he suffered a head injury during a game against Vanderbilt University. He remains in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Abercrombie — also a linebacker — walked off the field without any assistance. Abercrombie told trainers he had a headache. Then, minutes later, he collapsed, according to his coach.

Recent injuries in high school, collegiate, and professional football alike have opened the discussion to call for stricter safety regulations in the sport.

A poll earlier in the year conducted by NBC News found that 48 percent of Americans say they’d encourage a child who wanted to play football to play a different sport due to concerns about concussions.