Chance Gainer, high school football player from Port St. Joe, Florida, dies

A Florida high school football player died Friday night after local television reported that he collapsed on the field.

WJHG and WECP Television reported that an 18-year-old football player and star student collapsed during his team's game against Liberty County High School. Gulf County Schools Superintendent Jim Norton told the television station that the player had no pulse when emergency responders reached him.

Norton told reporters that emergency responders were able to check the player, Chance Gainer,'s pulse before putting him in an ambulance. He was then taken to a Blountstown hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“About an hour later, we received word that he had passed away,” said Tim Davis, Liberty County athletic director and assistant principal, who was at the game. “The game had about four minutes left in the fourth quarter and the decision was made to play it to the end so the Port St. Joe coaches could inform the players together.”