Get well poster for Northeast's @LeshawnWilliams signed by players. Please keep him in your prayers.@TBO_PrepSports http://t.co/gYqqwvNkMe
—
lynden ostrander (@lynden_o) October 27, 2014
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CBS Tampa/AP) — A senior defensive lineman for a Tampa Bay area high school suffered a leg injury in a football game that eventually required the amputation of his lower right leg due to blood clots.
The Northeast High School student’s injury occurred during Friday night’s game against Clearwater High School. The game was delayed for almost half an hour while medical personnel worked on 17-year-old Leshawn Williams. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.
Northeast coach Jeremy Frioud told The Tampa Bay Times on Monday that the surgery was successful.
“This was just freakish, awful luck,” Frioud told The Times. “But we’re going to be there as a team to help. . . . The first thing (Williams) texted to us after this happened was ‘play hard.’ That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Bonita Copeland, Williams’ mother, tole The Times that she felt there could have been a better response time from emergency personnel.
“My biggest concern was the response time,” Copeland told The Times. “I think if the ambulance got there sooner they probably could’ve helped him. … What if somebody broke their neck and was laying down on the field? With my son, it was a freak accident and it could’ve been something worse.
“Even though my son lost his leg, I’m happy he’s still here. But the sooner the response time, the better.”
The Times reported the 6-foot, 330-pound Williams spent the weekend at Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. The surgery took place Sunday after unsuccessful efforts to reestablish circulation.
Copeland said she did not tell her son about the amputation until after the surgery.
“I don’t think he’s grasped it all yet,” Copeland told The Times. “He’s still recovering. We’re all still trying to understand it.”
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Updates From Our Radio Stations:
VIDEO: Hey guys, here’s a great ‘chick flick’
LISTEN: AC/DC premiere’s new track
WATCH: Budweiser’s new anti-drunk driving campaign, ‘Friends Are Waiting’ is powerful
MUGSHOT: The world’s hottest female criminal is from Tampa!
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill talk about Tim’s embarrassing ‘first pitch’
PHOTOS: 10 rappers with life-threatening illnesses
Tampa Bay Hurricane Guide
Haz clic aquí para recibir noticias de música en Español
Follow us on Twitter – @CBSTampaBay and like us on Facebook
Get our daily email with news, sports and more – CLICK HERE