Head injuries caused football player’s death

COSTA MESA -- High school football player Matt Colby died because of

bleeding and swelling of the brain caused by repeated blunt-force

injuries to the head, the coroner said Thursday, nine weeks after the

popular defensive linebacker collapsed during a game.

Colby died at the hospital in the early morning hours on Sept. 29

after taking himself out of a Costa Mesa High School game against

Westminster High on Sept. 28.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is continuing its

investigation into whether appropriate procedures were followed after

Colby complained of fatigue and headaches in two previous games. The

investigation is at a standstill until the district receives a copy of

the coroner’s report, which may not happen if Colby’s family decides to

keep it private, said Mike Fine, assistant superintendent. In that case,

the investigation may stall, Fine added.

The coroner found that Colby had suffered at least two head injuries

over several days, lending credence to early suspicions that Colby

suffered an injury that hadn’t properly healed before the Sept. 28 game.

It also gives weight to the possibility that Colby’s tendency to lead

with his head when making tackles, as seen on several game tapes,

contributed to his death. This practice, known as spearing, is illegal

but still happens.

“There’s just no way if you tackle correctly or if you’re taught

tackling correctly that any head injuries would occur,” said Jay Noonan,

Estancia High School’s football coach.

Colby’s mother, Kelli, and Costa Mesa’s football coach, Dave Perkins,

were not available for comment.

Colby displayed signs of fatigue after a Sept. 15 game but did not

complain about headaches until after the following week’s game on Sept.

21. He was not allowed to practice contact drills the week before the

Sept. 28 game and was reportedly cleared to play by his family physician,

whose name has not been released.

Noonan, who took over at Estancia after Perkins left for Costa Mesa

along with a handful of players, including Colby, said his staff does not

allow players to participate in games if they have not done contact

drills the week before. It’s also up to the coach to discourage head-on

tackling, Noonan said.

“I’ve had to correct [many of the seniors] here about diving with

their heads,” Noonan said, adding that there are posters in the locker

and team rooms that also illustrate the no-head tackling message.

Colby’s autopsy results were delayed because of the complex

neurological tests performed, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange

County Sheriff’s Department.

While the coroner’s report did not show evidence of a concussion, it

does not mean that Colby did not experience any, because concussions

cannot be diagnosed after someone dies, said Federico Vaca, assistant

clinical professor of emergency medicine at UC Irvine.

In fact, Colby may have suffered one or several concussions, Vaca

said.

That confirmed the initial reaction from Dr. Terry Ziegler, a former

athletic trainer for Costa Mesa High School who in October suggested that

Colby died as a result of second-impact syndrome. That occurs when an

athlete suffers a head injury and then is hit in the head again before

the injury has completely healed.

Ziegler, who now works at Vanguard University, said the college

established a “head injury protocol” in the wake of Colby’s death, which

prohibits any athlete who has signs or symptoms of a concussion from

playing until he is symptom-free for 30 days.Will the Newport-Mesa

district follow suit?

It’s premature to say, Fine said, explaining that the district will

consider “any number of things that are appropriate.”

Vaca stressed that coaches and trainers should be more attuned to

their players’ conditions.

“If a player complains of headaches, nausea or change in vision and

the symptoms persist, more medical evaluation is needed,” he said.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .