Youth football player dies after collapsing during practice

theGRIO REPORT - A teen in the Salem Midget Football league died on Sunday. Jeremiah "Lil'J" Pierce, 12, of Salem, collapsed during practiced last week...

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A teen in the Salem Midget Football league died on Sunday.  Jeremiah “Lil’J” Pierce, 12, of Salem, collapsed during practice last week and was taken to the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, where he died.

According to assistant coach Cody Loatman, he was practicing and running drills with his teammates when the tragedy happened.

“He was an outgoing kid,” Loatman told the South Jersey Times. “He always came to practice on time, and he loved football.” He continued to describe Jeremiah as a comedian who loved laughing and making others laugh.

Loatman — a firefighter — tried to resuscitate Pierce. When police arrived on the scene, Loatman was still performing CPR on the teen. His team members mourned him Monday at the Salem Midget Football practice field.

Loatman launched a fundraising campaign on gofundme.com to help make sure the Pierce family has enough money to cover young Jeremiah’s medical and funeral expenses. If you are interested in contributing, you can access the donation page through the widget below.

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