On Friday November 8th, deep into the fourth quarter of a high school playoff football game in Arizona, senior wide receiver Charles Youvella from Hopi High School caught a high pass and was brought down by a defensive back from the other team. When Youvella was tackled, he fell hard on his head. The senior then collapsed a couple of plays later. Youvella died that following Monday at nearby hospital from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
The boy’s death put a somber end to a football season in which many Native American players had grown more enthusiastic about the game on the small northeastern Arizona reservation. Youvella died with this family at his side. The boy’s father, Wallace Youvella Jr., is also the school’s athletic director.
Player’s Death a Tragic Loss
Steve Saban, the varsity football coach, told reporters that Youvella was part of a group of kids who had been playing for him for years and had vowed to put in the work needed to become the standout team in football, which isn’t the most popular sport at the school. The only loss the Bruins had this season was in overtime. Saban said:
“We had just a beautiful season, best record in school history. Down there in the state playoffs, it was just a great experience for the kids…and then the terrible tragedy. It was just like a bad dream.”
The Hopi radio station, KUYI, was doing its first live remote broadcast of an Arizona state playoff game when Youvella was hit. Broadcaster Stan Bindell told listeners that Youvella went down but the extent of his injury wasn’t known. The game resumed about 45 minutes later after Youvella was taken off the field and transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics.
“Charles really had a strong will and just never gave up, especially when it came to athletics,” Hopi High School principal Glenn Gilman said.
Gilman also said the initial assessment was given by an athletic trainer from the opposing team, that Youvella had suffered a concussion. Emergency responders arrived about 15 minutes after Youvella collapsed.
High School Athletic Association Seeks Answers
Chuck Schmidt, the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s associate executive director and chief operating officer, said the AIA would be gathering details from the medical examiner and officials on site, and looking at its own response. Schmidt noted:
“I can’t explain why it happened. We have too many people drawing conclusions as to a play. Our focus right now is the family, assisting them in the grieving process and making sure they have time to do that.”
Schmidt said a special fund will be established to help offset expenses for the Youvella family. Hopi High School also is accepting donations on their behalf.
Youvella’s death also comes at a time when traumatic brain injury in football is attracting attention at all levels of the sport. Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald reached out to fans on his Twitter account by posting a picture of Youvella, asking them to pray for the teen’s family, friends and teammates.
Youvella’s specific type of brain injury was not yet confirmed, though experts suspect some level of bleeding or possible diffuse axonal injury (DAI) may have contributed to the teen’s tragic death.
References:
CBS News
