An Alabama community is grieving the loss of a high school quarterback who sustained a fatal brain injury during his school’s season opener on Friday night, according to statements from school officials and the teen’s family.
Caden Tellier, 16, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after the injury occurred during John T. Morgan Academy’s game against Southern Academy in Selma. His death was confirmed the following day.
School headmaster Bryan Oliver noted that Tellier was an organ donor, as reported by AL.com. In a statement released on Saturday, Tellier’s parents expressed their grief: “Our boy, Caden Tellier, has met Jesus face to face. Everyone who knew Caden experienced his kindness, generosity, and love, and true to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time.”
They added, “Lives have been touched by the way he lived and now lives will be saved through his passing.”
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“While the full details may take some time to emerge, initial reports suggest that Caden likely suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain following a routine play where he was tackled and hit the ground,” Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McLendon told CNN.
McLendon noted that school officials are still gathering information about the incident and it may be a while before more details are available. He added that spectators at the game likely did not notice anything unusual.
Experts say that deaths during football games are rare across all levels of play. In 2023, there were 16 football-related deaths, including seven at the high school level, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. Among these, three were attributed to traumatic brain injuries—two in high school football and one in youth league—occurring during games. The remaining deaths were due to exertional or medical causes, such as heat stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, and pulmonary embolism.
Headmaster Bryan Oliver described Tellier as a bright presence in the school community. “He was a student, a friend, an athlete, and most importantly, a Christ follower. There are no words to express the grief felt by our school community and family,” Oliver said in a social media statement.
The Tellier family plans to schedule a memorial service soon, and Morgan Academy has suspended all school activities for the week, according to the school association. By early Monday, a GoFundMe campaign to support the family with medical and other expenses had raised over $76,000.