An Alabama high school quarterback died suddenly after suffering a traumatic brain injury during Friday night's season opener, according to multiple reports.
John T. Morgan Academy 2024 season The game took place on Friday against Southern Academy in Selma, Alabama.
“My son was an exceptional athlete, but what he loved most was talking about Jesus.”
Cayden Tellier, a 16-year-old junior, was the quarterback for John T. Morgan Academy. During the third quarter of the game, Tellier was injured in a freak accident.
Michael McClendon, executive director of the Alabama Association of Independent Schools, said fans watching the game “probably didn't see anything unusual” on the heartbreaking final play, which was described as “routine.”
“While we may not know the full extent of the problem for some time, initial reports indicate that Caden likely suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain after a routine play of being tackled and hitting the ground,” McClendon said.
The Terriers were taken off the field. Airlifted He was taken to University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital in serious condition.
McClendon said. CNN “It may be a significant amount of time before we have more information about the injuries and the entire incident.”
Caden's parents, Arcela Slagel Tellier and Jamie Tellier, announced their son's death on Facebook. post Shared on Saturday.
Our son, Kaden Tellier, met Jesus face to face. We thank you for your prayers and want to pray for the difficult days ahead. All who knew Kaden knew his kindness, generosity and love, and true to his character, he is giving of himself again. Many lives were touched by his life, and now many lives will be saved by his death. We will walk with his earthly body in the coming days, knowing that his soul is rejoicing in heaven.
His grieving parents shared an update on social media on Tuesday morning, thanking the medical staff who treated Kaden. They also revealed that Kaden was an organ donor, and that his “final wish to give the gift of organ donation” had been fulfilled.
“Kaden is still fighting hard on earth preparing for his final act of generosity to give new life to others,” his parents said. “We continue to pray for those whose lives will be forever changed by his gift.”
The parents added: “Our hope is that God will be glorified. Through our story, his love will be evident and Kaden's impact will touch so many lives.”
“I can tell you a lot about who my son was, what kind of person he is. He was a phenomenal athlete, but what he loved most was talking about Jesus,” said Kaden's father, Jamie Tellier.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity we have received from friends, community members and people who have never met us in person,” the parents said.
“His legacy will live on. We thank God for the opportunity we had to love him and be loved by him.”
Dr. Brian Oliver, Principal of John T. Morgan Academy, Social Media:
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Kayden Tellier has gone to be with his Lord and Savior. Kayden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a light every time he stood in the halls of Morgan Academy. He was a student, a friend, an athlete, and above all else, a follower in Christ. Words cannot express our feelings as a school community and family. We stand united in our heart and support for Jamie, Arcela, and Lila. Our heartfelt condolences also extend to the Tellier family. We thank all the schools and individuals who reached out during this difficult time. Kayden will never be forgotten for who he was and what he meant to Morgan Academy.
Oliver said the school will cancel all athletic activities for the next week due to the sudden tragedy of the death.
Nearby is Hooper Academy. Psalm 147:3 Facebook Bible Verses post: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
“Hooper Academy sends its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the family of Morgan Academy outstanding student-athlete Kaden Tellier, who tragically passed away after being injured Friday night,” the school announced. “AISA truly is a family, and we will be holding prayers for his friends, loved ones and all of the MAS student body in the days and weeks ahead.”
Auburn University football coach Hugh Freeze said During a press conference on Monday, he said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Morgan Academy player Cayden Tellier in Selma and his coach (Jacob Webb) as they deal with the tragic loss of one of their teammates and his son. I can't imagine the difficulties they are going through, so our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
The Terriers had a touchdown pass and a touchdown rushing in the first half before he was injured. Selma Times Journal.
a GoFundMe A crowdfunding campaign was launched to help the family cover medical and funeral expenses. At the time of writing, the crowdfunding campaign has raised over $100,000.
“Kaden was well known for his kindness, generosity and love,” the GoFundMe request reads. “True to his character, he is giving himself to once again save the lives of others through organ donation. His legacy will live on. We thank God for the opportunity to love him and be loved by him.”
James Robinson, medical director for the Alabama High School Athletic Association, said football is “still safe.”
Robinson said. AL.com“If you look at the data from the National Center for Major Injuries in Sports, you can see that the mortality rate has remained pretty stable. In 2023, there were 16 deaths at all levels: 10 medical-related, three traumatic, and three unrelated or unknown to football. At the high school level, there were four medical-related and three traumatic head injury-related. This is out of 4.2 million participants at all levels.”
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