Football players at Nestucca (Ore.) High School have been credited with saving the life of an assistant coach, after he collapsed on the first day of summer practice back in June.
According to Oregon Live, Frank Elsasser is the offensive coordinator for the Bobcats, and he took the team through warm-ups on June 17 before complaining of light-headedness and collapsing on the 27-yard line.
The student-athletes — nearly all of whom were CPR-certified thanks to the athletic director’s health class initiative to get all students trained — began chest compressions immediately. The football players were assisted by Kenny Hurliman, an assistant coach and volunteer firefighter and paramedic.
“I felt for the pulse and everything,” Hurliman said. “He was gone.”
The team prepared an AED, and was able to jump-start Elsasser’s heart on the field, before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. Elsasser underwent heart surgery a few days later, and is making a full recovery. In the aftermath, head coach Michael Ward wasn’t sure how to proceed, but the next week nearly every player who had been there on day one was back for more summer practices.
“We received a full buy-in from the team,” Ward said. “I got to be honest, I was a little lost. I had just lost my offensive coordinator on our first day of practice. I didn’t know what we were going to do. But we truly came together as a football team.”
“He’s [Elsasser] became a way more important coach than I ever thought he’d be,“ Hurliman said. “To me he was just a guy. He was my offensive coordinator, my quarterback coach. And now I see him as a friend in life. A guy I can say, ‘Wow, I saved that guy’s life.’ And to me that’s really cool.”
Hurliman, whose own son is on the Nestucca football team, said he’s grateful that athletic director Tevin Gianella requires all students to be CPR certified in health class. “I mean, you never know when someone’s going to drop on the ground and you’re going to need to use it,” he said.
