‘healthy kid’

Nebraska High School Football Player Dies After Collapsing at Practice in Heat

Drake Geiger and his team were practicing in 91-degree heat before he collapsed.

A high school football player in Nebraska collapsed and died while practicing in intense heat, River Country News Channel reports. Drake Geiger, 16, collapsed 45 minutes into the practice at Omaha South High Magnet, and his body temperature was elevated when first responders arrived, according to his family. He was treated for heat exposure at a local hospital and later died, officials said. “They began to try other procedures to try and revive him, with great sadness they were not able to save him,” Geiger’s sister told KMTV 3. The high school players had been practicing in 91-degree temperatures, with the heat index reaching 105. “He was a big kid, but he was a healthy big kid,” his dad, Scott Hoffman said.

The principal of Omaha South High Magnet school released a statement offering condolences to Geiger and his family. “We are deeply saddened to share that 11th-grade student Drake Geiger died unexpectedly last evening,” wrote Jodi Pesek. “We have been in contact with Drake’s family and conveyed our heartfelt sympathy and support.”