A tragedy.
He was only 17 at the time, and a standout prep linebacker, who was leading his team in tackles.
During his junior year, he suffered a concussion during a game and ended up missing the remainder of the season.
Returning to the gridiron in his senior year, he collapsed on the field in a late-September game and had to be rushed by an emergency vehicle to a nearby hospital, where he died a few days later.
If he had survived, he would've been in his mid-30s in 2011.
His name was Chuck Schofield, and the football/track and field stadium at Ritchie County High in Ellenboro, W.Va., was named after him in his honor.
Incidentally, Schofield's father, Dick, spent many an hour at the facility on a tractor, helping to prepare the field for use.
The elder Schofield himself passed away a few years later.
A 17-year-old dying while playing the game he loves has to be heartbreaking.
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The TV show
Last week, on "Harry's Law," Harry (a female attorney) and her partner represented parents whose son had died of a concussion during a high school football game. Briefly, the parents wanted Harry - a football fan - to lead a case to ban prep football.
What made the story interesting and educational, too, was the judge permitting experts to espouse on second impact syndrome (SIS).
Now, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the Internet, "SIS is a condition in which the brain swells rapidly and catastrophically after a young athlete, who is considered to be most at risk, suffers a second concussion before symptoms from an earlier one have subsided."
You can look it up, and it's recommended that all parents, who have youngsters playing any sport, also consult a doctor for more detailed information.
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This past Sunday.
Late in a televised NFL game at The Meadowlands, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson and New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw literally met head-on. In a way, it was reminiscent of the early Dodge truck comercials where two rams butted each other.
Woodson apparently got the worse end of the hit but was able to walk off the field and be escorted to the locker room under his own power.
He did not return to the contest, and later, it was reported that he'd suffered a concussion.
It does not appear that Woodson will be back in action any time soon.
In another game Sunday, Minnesota Vikings lineman Jared Allen lost his helmet while chasing and trying to tackle Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.
Now, there's a scary proposition for you. But, y'know, many, many years ago, football players did actually compete without helmets.
Hard to believe.
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And, finally.
Obviously, you don't have to play football to get a concussion.
In fact, there's probably no such thing as a concussion-free sport. That's why participants wear helmets in baseball, softball, hockey, auto racing, bicycle racing, lacrosse, etc.
Heck, you could probably even get one falling down in a bowling alley.
Ron Johnston is the Marietta Times sports editor and can be reached at 376-5441 or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
