A Connecticut community is mourning the loss of a high school football player who died on Tuesday after losing consciousness during practice.
Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera, a 15-year-old student at Windsor High School and a member of the football team, died after he lost consciousness during the afternoon practice, according to school officials.
Rivera was not involved in any football drills or tackling at the time of the incident.
He was taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.
“Sadly, the medical professionals were unable to revive him,” district superintendent Terrence Hill said in a letter to families on Tuesday.
Windsor Mayor Donald Trinks told the Hartford Courant that Rivera was given CPR immediately by his coaches and Hill’s letter stated that CPR was also given by responding police and EMS.
“A 15 year old kid, playing a sport he loved … you can’t rationalize it in any way,” Trinks told the Courant.
The cause of Rivera’s death remained unknown on Wednesday.
Rivera was affectionately known to his teammates as “Big Texas” and had moved back to Connecticut in June to better focus on school and football, his mother Chastity Hernandez told Hearst Connecticut Media Group.
Hernandez told the outlet that Rivera loved cars and football, and that his favorite NFL team was the Atlanta Falcons.
She added that his dream had been to don a Falcons jersey one day and live in Atlanta.
“He will be greatly missed,” Hernandez said. “But will always be remembered with that big smile on his face.”
A candlelight vigil was held on the football field Tuesday night and members of the Windsor football team said they were dedicating the remainder of the season in his honor and that at their next home game, they’d walk onto the field with his jersey.
“He’s a great dude, uplifting dude,” Chase Royal told WFSB in Connecticut. “Every time you see him he’s (got) smiles on his face. He loved to be around, he loved the community.
“He’s a genuine guy.”
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