The boy who lived and died for football

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- When it came to football, 16-year old D.J. Searcy couldn't say no. He was dedicated to the game and to his coaches at Fitzgerald High School.

"He was a starter in the 9th grade," says Searcy's mom, Michelle Searcy. "In our small town, if you're a starter at 14-years old, you're good."

Fitzgerald is a sleepy, Southern town in Georgia. Every Friday night, locals can be found packing the stands at Fitzgerald High football games. They cheer on the Purple Hurricanes, a team that has gone to the state playoffs every year, for the last 10 years.

Searcy was a defensive lineman for the Hurricanes. At 5'9, he weighed 306 pounds. Searcy was known as a "beast" on the field. His mom says colleges were already recruiting him. But on August 2, 2011, Searcy's dream of playing in the NFL came to an end. He collapsed after football practice and died.

"I know that when he left Sunday, July 31st, he was laughing, running down the stairs. He was healthy," says Michelle Searcy.

That was the last time she saw her son alive. Searcy left that day for Lake City, Florida, where his team would attend football camp at the Florida Bible Camp. The first two days of practice were tough. It was hot outside, the temperature reaching 96 degrees. By the end of the first day of camp, Searcy's teammates say the heat was taking a toll on him.

"It was intense. It was real hot and we were running and they were just pushing us real hard," says Searcy's friend and teammate, Deion Bivens.

Football is known as a tough sport. Coaches push their players hard. But that's part of the game. Searcy and his teammates thrived on the challenge. For Searcy, there was no saying "no" to the coaches.

"He trusted the coaches, I trusted the coaches," says Michelle.

The night before Searcy passed away, his teammates say he passed out. The next morning, Bivens and other players knew something wasn't right.

"He was just telling me that his head was hurting but he didn't really know why," Bivens told Action News. "He wasn't his normal self."

But Searcy kept pushing himself, taking the field for practice the following day. But Bivens says Searcy was cramping up and it got to the point where he wanted to stop practicing. A few hours later, Searcy would be dead. Searcy's mom believes her son could have been saved, if more had been done the first time he passed out.

"They didn't call any medical personnel, they didn't call 911, they didn't call his parents and let them know that their 16-year old passed out and they found him on the bathroom floor, unconsious," says the Searcy family's attorney, Benjamin Crump.

There are other claims from Fitzgerald High football players. Some say the coaches never allowed enough water breaks during practices. They also say there were forced to practice in full pads in close to 100 degree heat. According to the players, they practiced football throughout the summer, before pre-season practices had started. If proven true, the claims are a violation of the rules of the Georgia High School Association.

As of now, the GHSA says there is no investigation into Searcy's death or any wrongdoing on the part of the school or coaches.

Action News obtained Searcy's autopsy report. It shows one of the factors contributing to his death was Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. According to the American Heart Association, it's the single, most frequent cause of sudden death in young athletes. The condition is aggravated by factors like dehydration and physical exertion.

Action News sent repeated requests for interviews to the Ben Hill County School Superintendent, asking to discuss Searcy's death and the allegations made by players against the school. The school superintendent, Nancy Whidden, refused the requests. But she did send a statement regarding the autopsy:

"As you may have heard, the autopsy results regarding the unfortunate and untimely death of D. J. Searcy have been released by the Florida authorities. This should not overshadow the deep sympathy that we feel for his family, his friends, his teammates, classmates, coaches, and all those that knew him. It was important for us to know, however, what happened to D. J. and what caused his untimely death. For that reason, we consulted with an independent physician concerning the autopsy results, and it appears that D. J. had permanent heart damage that had resulted from years of uncontrolled high blood pressure. Even though D. J.'s blood pressure was under control at the time he took his athletic physical, the damage to his heart was already there, and it was permanent in nature. Furthermore, his condition would not be something a physician could or should pick up on a routine physical examination; and, therefore, all indications were that D. J. was physically able to participate in football. Unfortunately, this long-standing heart condition caused his death. According to the information we have received, there was nothing our coaches or other staff members did or did not do that in any way contributed to this tragedy. We specifically asked if there should be any changes in our policies concerning athletics and the medical qualifications for participation, and our consulting physician has indicated that he does not believe any change in policy is necessary or warranted. This was simply one of those very unfortunate circumstances where a hidden defective heart condition caused a tragic loss of life. Again, we extend our sympathies to his family, his friends, and all of those who have endured this untimely loss of a fine young man."

Searcy's family also had the medical examiner's report reviewed by a medical expert. The family's attorney released this statement regarding the findings:

"After United States Army Captain Carlton Searcy, D.J.’s father, reviewed D.J.’s autopsy report he called the medical examiner to discuss the examiner’s conclusions regarding his son’s death. The medical examiner revealed to Captain Searcy that D.J.’s coaches never fully informed him or medical personnel of the circumstances surrounding his death, and that nobody told him that D.J. passed out the night before, or that he had just finished performing football drills in excruciating heat. As such, D.J.’s parents chose to consult a nationally renowned army medical expert. After reviewing D.J.’s medical records, autopsy report, and considering the circumstances surrounding D.J.’s death, the medical expert formed the initial opinion that D.J. died from a heat-related event and that his tragic death was preventable. Upon the expert’s full review of D.J.’s medical records, his parents will address the press to share his findings. The family requests the community’s continued prayers and support."

It's still hard for Michelle Searcy to believe that just a few days after sending her son to football camp, he was gone forever.

"What is a mother to do when they find out their child could be saved simply by getting medical attention?"