WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4 News) - A West Jordan High School football player is talking about his experience after a tackle gave him a concussion.
Alex Keetch, 15, is a pulling guard for the sophomore team at WJHS.
Keetch remembers trying to tackle an Alta High School lead blocker at a game Wednesday night.
“Our quarterback threw an interception,” Alex said. “I tried to go tackle the guy who got the ball.”
Keetch doesn’t remember much after the collision.
He ran off the field and was treated by paramedics. Keetch was one of two West Jordan football player rushed to a hospital and treated for a concussion that night.
Natasha Keetch, Alex's mother, was not at the game.
“It’s frustrating that I can't protect him from something like that,” she said. “He's a good player.”
Keetch said she was concerned because her son could not remember who his little brother was. She knows other concussions are bad news.
“The first concussion is bad,” she said. “You don't want anymore. It can only get worse from there.”
Alex is still dizzy at times. His hands and feet have tremors. His mother said players should think twice about their intentions on the field.
“They have such rivalries and they play so hard,” she added. “It's just a game, don't go out to injure other people.”
Doctors have said several concussions under age 18 should be cause for serious concern. Teenagers should not think they’re invincible.
