A Chicago high school football player died Friday after an injury sustained during a game on Thursday evening, marking at least the seventh high school football death this fall.
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The gathering was held as Smith’s former high school, Rich Central, where he played for three seasons before transferring to Bogan High School.
Relatives and friends told WLS-TV that Andre Smith, affectionately known as “Dre”, loved playing football and wanted to continue playing in college.
His death comes a little more than a year after Shoreham-Wading River’s Tom Cutinella died October. 1, 2014, after being injured in a game at Glenn High School.
The play was a kick return, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The sudden loss of the Bogen High School student has left friends and family stunned.
“When I got here, he was still breathing, you know”, brother Erick Smith told ABC 7.
Smith also played on the basketball team and ran track his first year of high school. “His smile was just ideal”. When the paramedic at the game examined him, the paramedic called for an ambulance.
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Chicago Public Schools said in a statement, “Our hearts are heavy and saddened this morning to learn that one of our student athletes at Bogan High School has passed away”.
