Fifteen-year-old Joshua Ivory Jr., a football player at Southwest High School in Macon, Ga., died Monday night after experiencing a medical emergency at the team’s first mandatory practice.
Bibb County athletic director Barney Hester told WMAZ-TV that the defensive lineman, a rising 10th-grader, collapsed before 6 p.m. Monday. Ivory later died in the emergency room at the Medical Center, Atrium Health Navicent. An autopsy will be scheduled for the teen.
“Joshua was a wonderful young man full of promise and zeal," principal A. Bernard Young stated in a release. “He had an infectious smile and a very kind heart. He enjoyed sports and spending time with his family. Joshua’s personality made it easy for him to make a great impression and huge impact on his teammates, coaches, and the entire Southwest family. He was one of a kind. A great example of a Southwest High School Patriot.’'
As of this writing, local media reports have not speculated as to the cause of Ivory's medical emergency. However, the high temperature in Macon on Monday was 95 degrees.
As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, football teams have been conditioning all summer, but Monday marked the first date in which teams could require that players attend. In the first five days of practice, practices are limited to two hours, and players may wear no protective football equipment other than helmets and mouth pieces. Practice in pads begins Monday.
