A Michigan high school football game took a terrifying turn when 15-year-old Colton Mims was crushed under the full weight of a much larger opposing player, leaving fans and his family in disbelief.
The devastating play during a junior varsity matchup between Lakeshore and Kalamazoo Central has left Colton sidelined for the season, and possibly longer.
“I’ve never felt anything like it”
A video of what happened spread quickly on the internet, showing a bigger player from Lakeshore landing on Colton not just once, but twice after a tackle.
People watching were shocked as the teenager was taken off the field, leaving his mom, Courtney Mims, very upset.
“When I realized it was my son, I couldn’t hold back. I had to rush down there,” she told WSBT. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve never been so upset or shaken about something concerning my son.”
Colton was taken to the hospital, where doctors found out he had two spinal fractures. He got muscle relaxers and is now being watched closely to see if he can safely play football again.
“He’s out for at least this season. We don’t know if he’ll be able to play again… These boys are just 15 years old. The game is really important to them,” Courtney said. “It’s everything to them right now… and it’s really hard for me to see someone trying to take that away from someone who works so hard.”
“It’s not okay,” she told MLive. “My son could have easily been paralyzed. He can hardly walk right now, and I’m not sure if he can ever play football again. It’s everything to him right now, and it’s just really sad.
“It was so purposeful”
Courtney Mims’ friend, Gretta Volkenstein, was the first person to post videos of the shocking event on Facebook. She told MLive that seeing it happen was “the worst thing that could happen to a parent ever.”
“It was so intentional and sudden by a kid, which is terrible,” Volkenstein said. “It’s a quick decision that can change someone’s entire life. This is our chance to talk about things that might be uncomfortable and teach the kids the right way to deal with this and communicate. People need to be responsible for what they do.”
The community has come together to support Colton, with classmates and fans dedicating Kalamazoo Central’s varsity win the following day to him.
“The win was for Colton,” a Facebook post celebrating the 26-7 victory stated.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) confirmed that they are dealing with the incident internally.
“We know about the situation you’re mentioning… We’ve spoken to both schools, and they are working on resolving this issue internally,” said a spokesperson. Lakeshore school officials added, “We can’t provide any information right now, other than that we are collaborating with the other school regarding this situation.”]}]}
Social media erupted
At the same time, social media exploded with outrage and demands for responsibility.
“The player who did this should be kicked out of school, face legal action, and the coach or coaches should be banned forever for promoting and supporting such behavior,” one person commented.
Another person said, “How can there be any doubt about the punishment for the player who pancaked? That was a violent attack that would even get someone in trouble in the NFL.”
As Colton starts his long journey to heal, his mom hopes that his experience will help people understand the risks of dangerous plays in youth sports.
Colton will probably have to get X-rays and checkups for a long time. Any type of accident, even just slipping and falling years later, could lead to permanent paralysis.
“The school and the police must act right away about the person who intentionally hurt him,” one user on social media said.
On Monday, it was shared that the football player from Kalamazoo Central High School will be punished. The school district didn’t say what the punishment is, but the mother of the injured Lakeshore player mentioned that he will miss a few games.
