The Coffee County Coroner’s Office has revealed the cause of death of Semaj Wilkins, a 14-year-old freshman at New Brockton High School in Alabama. Wilkins suffered a medical emergency during football practice on August 13 and collapsed.
He was unresponsive when taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the New York Post.
An autopsy by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined on Thursday that 14-year-old Semaj died from congestive heart failure due to cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy, stemming from a coronary anomaly.
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His death was classified as natural. According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiomegaly is an enlarged heart, and ventricular hypertrophy is the thickening of the heart walls, both of which can lead to the heart’s inability to pump blood efficiently.
“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members. His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him,” Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kelly Cobb wrote in a statement on Facebook at the time of his passing.
Semaj was one of seven football-related deaths in August, highlighting the need for improved sports safety measures.
The causes of these deaths varied, including heatstroke, chest pains, and head injuries, prompting parents and advocates to call for greater attention to athlete safety.
