The death of the Morgan Academy quarterback highlights the risk of head injuries in football

Caden Tellier began his junior season as the starting quarterback for Morgan Academy in Selma on Friday. He suffered a serious head injury during a game against Southern Academy and later died. “I was devastated. I prayed for him and the family. And I was very sad because that's what we're trying to prevent,” said Dr. Joe Ackerson. Dr. Ackerson is a leading pediatric neuropsychologist and has worked on the Alabama Sports Concussion Taskforce for more than a decade. Hugh Freeze, head coach of the Auburn football team, even took a moment on Monday to offer his condolences. “I just can't imagine what they're going through, so our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Freeze said. Ackerson said the foam-shell training helmets used by teams have helped reduce the number of concussions he sees these days. However, violence between two players can still cause extreme damage. “You can have severe strokes because a particular blow actually cuts off the blood flow from the carotid artery. And then the blood stops getting to the brain,” Ackerson said. He claimed he couldn't remember any other high school players in the state dying from such complications on the field. “In Alabama? I don't know that I've ever heard of a player dying from a brain injury,” Ackerson said. He said his task force helped pass a law in 2011 requiring all sports groups to train coaches and players on how to respond to the symptoms of a concussion. “If you want to make sure you're going to survive this and get out and probably be totally OK, you have to recognize it and get out,” Ackerson said. Morgan Academy has canceled all sporting events for this week, including Friday's football game against Wilcox County.