Grand Prairie high school reacts to, mourns Mansfield football players’s death

by Kirk Dickey of Grand Prairie TODAY

A junior varsity football player's death has caused sadness and introspection in the Grand Prairie and Mansfield school districts.

Students made banners and chanted the “Dozie” at the Mansfield Summit-South Grand Prairie varsity football game on Sept. 8 in honor of Dozie Njeako, 15, who died during a junior varsity football game Sept. 6.

The cause of his death was not clear at press time. An autopsy and further testing could take weeks.

Witnesses said Njeako collapsed as he jogged to the Summit sideline. Athletic trainers from both schools administered CPR, but were unable to revive him. He died at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center.

“We were all kind of in shock,” Grand Prairie Athletic Director Fred Clausen said later. “Our district feels a great deal of sympathy for the family and the district and the school.”

Clausen said that people in GPISD had been out collecting funds for Njeako's memorial fund.

Clausen said that the incident was something that couldn't have been foreseen, but that he was proud of the way the district's trainer did her best to help Njeako.

He said the district has begun talking about hiring more athletic trainers to more effectively cover all the sporting events its students take part in. He pointed to late winter/ early spring, when there might be soccer, track, basketball and softball events all going on at the same time.

“That's not just an issue here, but also in other larger districts,” Clausen said.

Likewise, he said the district is looking at its policies and procedures for use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) a new tool which can help restart a person's heart.

The effect of Njeako's death was felt on the field during the varsity game as well. Several announcements were made about drinking plenty of fluids throughout the daytime game.

Although Clausen said he did not believe dehydration was a cause of Njeako's death, the district's policy is to make sure its athletes are getting enough water.

But he also said that Njeako's death was on the minds of everyone there.

“I guess there is always increased awareness when something like that happens,” he said. “I guess everybody was trying to be a little more proactive.”