High school quarterback dies after brain injury in opening game

An Alabama high school football player died Saturday after suffering a brain injury during his team's first home game Friday night.

Morgan Academy junior quarterback Caden Tellier was hit in the head in the third quarter of his team's 30-22 win over Southern Academy in Selma, Alabama. He was flown by helicopter to the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital.

Bryan Oliver, principal of Morgan Academy, told Fox News Digital Tellier that he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday evening.

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A bench on a football field. (Steve Nurenberg/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS)

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that Caden Tellier has gone to be with his Lord and Savior. Caden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a shining light every day he walked into the halls of Morgan Academy. He was a student, a friend, an athlete and, most importantly, a follower of Christ,” Oliver said.

“There are no words to describe how we feel as a school community and family. We will come together and support Jamie, Arsella and Lyla with all our hearts. We also extend our deepest condolences to the Telliers' extended family. I want to thank all the schools and individuals who have helped us during this difficult time. Caden will never be forgotten for who he was and what he means to Morgan Academy.”

Confusion about Tellier's health was rampant on social media Saturday morning when a statement from Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McLendon was posted on the association's Facebook page. The original statement, released before noon ET, said the school had suffered a “tragic loss” in Tellier.

However, that post was deleted and replaced with a new statement posted around 1:20 p.m. ET, which clarified that Tellier had suffered a “tragic injury” and was in critical condition at the time. However, he died later that same day.

McLendon added that the school will “suspend” all school activities for the next week.

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“As a small school, Morgan Academy feels this tragedy more acutely than ever before and the Alabama Independent School Association is here to offer any support and assistance we can to assist them in their grief,” he said.

Tellier played both football and baseball for Morgan Academy. In his first year as a sophomore in 2023 as a first-team starter, he threw for 1,228 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games. In baseball, he posted a .311 batting average with two home runs and 10 RBIs last spring.

Tellier's death came just nine days after Semaj Wilkins, another Alabama high school football player and 14-year-old freshman at New Brockton High School, died on August 15 from complications after collapsing during a practice.

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