Teen collapses during ‘routine’ football drill and dies, Connecticut officials say

A 14-year-old boy is dead after officials say he collapsed during football practice in Connecticut.

The teenager, identified by loved ones as Jahkye Gayle, was on the Bloomfield Junior Warhawk Football Team, Bloomfield Public Schools said in a Nov. 29 Facebook post. Jahkye was a freshman at Bloomfield High School and transferred recently to neighboring Manchester High School, but he was still a member of the Warhawks.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the unexpected passing of one of our community’s beloved children,” a joint statement by the district and town manager said.

Jahkye collapsed during a practice on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and “was unable to be revived despite attempts by staff and emergency medical personnel,” officials said.

Jahkye “was a vibrant, talented, and beloved son, friend, and teammate whose light touched everyone around him,” team staff wrote in a GoFundMe page, adding “his dedication, sportsmanship, and love for football inspired his teammates and coaches alike.”

It “should have been a routine practice,” officials wrote.

The team was in the middle of a warmup drill with no physical contact when Jahkye collapsed, Trevor Ford, president of Junior Warhawks Football, told WFSB.

“It was just like a walk through, essentially just light jogging. Nothing strenuous or anything like that,” Ford said, according to the outlet.

Hundreds showed up for a vigil on the football field the night of Saturday, Nov. 30, lighting candles and releasing balloons in Jahkye’s honor, the station reported.

“It’s hard losing my brother, someone I shared a room with, did everything with, and grew up with,” brother Lamar told the outlet. “He was overall a great person who changed people with his presence.”

Amid shock and grief at the loss of her son, Jahkye’s mother, Stacey Haylett, thanked the community for their support.

“Y’all have truly been amazing,” she said in a Facebook post. “This is very overwhelming but I love the love.”

“My heart is forever shattered,” Haylett said.

Officials did not say what may have caused Jahkye to collapse, but McClatchy News has reached out for more information.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest, or SCA, “is the number one cause of exercise related death in young athletes,” according to USA Football.

“SCA is the result of a structural or electrical disorder in the heart that can lead to a potentially lethal arrhythmia,” the organization says, though properly trained and equipped staff can “greatly reduce tragic outcomes.”

When young athletes die due to SCA, they often have an underlying heart condition or defect, with the most common being hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, according to the University of Colorado.

In cases where no underlying conditions are present, the trigger is frequently something called commotio cordis.

“Commotio cordis is caused by blunt trauma to the chest, delivered at a time when the heart is recharging for the next heartbeat. In this vulnerable period, the trauma can provoke an extremely unstable heart rhythm, which then ceases effective squeezing of the heart and thus halts circulation of blood,” according to the university.

Bloomfield is roughly 6 miles northwest from Hartford.

This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Teen collapses during ‘routine’ football drill and dies, Connecticut officials say."