Alabama high school football player, 14, cause of death revealed after he collapsed mid-practice

An autopsy has recovered that an Alabama precocious schoolhouse shot player, who collapsed during summertime practice, died from congestive bosom failure, the region coroner announced Thursday.

Semaj Wilkins, a 14-year-old freshman astatine New Brockton High School, died successful August aft collapsing astatine the commencement of day shot signifier successful 100-degree heat.

The autopsy, performed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, 'determined that the origin of decease was congestive bosom nonaccomplishment owed to cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy, resulting from a coronary anomaly,' Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham wrote successful a quality release. 

The decease was classified arsenic natural, helium said.

The Mayo Clinic's website defines cardiomegaly arsenic an enlarged bosom and ventricular hypertrophy arsenic a thickening of the bosom walls. The information tin origin the bosom to neglect to pump humor efficiently.

'Our thoughts and prayers stay with the Wilkins household during this hard time. We besides widen our enactment to the faculty, students, and unit of New Brockton High School,' Woodham wrote.

New Brockton is simply a municipality of astir 1,400 radical located astir 80 miles (130 kilometers) southbound of Montgomery.

Wilkins suffered his aesculapian exigency astatine astir 4:30pm, erstwhile the country was nether a level-3 vigor risk, which is considered high. Temperatures successful the country were astir 100 degrees astatine 4pm, according to section quality presumption WDHN.

Players defended the school's vigor protocol portion speaking to reporters.