Florida high school football player dies after collapsing during game

PANAMA CITY, Florida — A high school football player in the Florida Panhandle has died after collapsing during a game, officials said.

Port St. Joe High School wide receiver Chance Gainer collapsed during Friday night’s game at Liberty High School. The 18-year-old senior was rushed to the hospital but died, Gulf County School Superintendent Jim Norton said. WJHG-TV.

Gainer was an excellent student and had recently visited Vanderbilt University to discuss the possibility of going there, Norton said.

Gainer “had world-class speed, but more importantly, he had a world-class personality,” Norton said.

Friday’s game was canceled after Gainer’s collapse, and next week’s Port St. Joe game has also been canceled.

The National Federation of State High School Associations said last week that six high schools players had died in the past month, four of them due to heart problems and two due to a stroke.