Sunday, Oct. 05, 2008

Injured East St. Louis football player 'hanging in there,' father says

East St. Louis High School football player Demond Hunt Jr. was listed in serious condition Saturday after sustaining a head injury Friday night during a game at Collinsville.

The 16-year-old Hunt Jr. is a 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound junior middle linebacker, is on a breathing tube.

The incident happened when Hunt Jr. took a helmet to the chest late in the second quarter. He began to have difficulty breathing while on the sidelines for the Flyers, who scored a 65-12 victory.

His father, Demond Hunt Sr., said Saturday that his son had a seizure at the end of the game's first half, and was taken to Anderson Hospital in Maryville. A CAT scan revealed his son had developed a blood clot in the brain. There also was swelling in the brain.

Hunt Jr. was then airlifted to Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis. A second CAT scan was taken.

"The second CAT scan done when they got here showed it wasn't as bad as the first one they did," the elder Hunt said. "On a scale of one to 10, I'd say we're at a six-and-a-half right now. We're hanging in there the best we can."

The athlete suffered no broken bones.

Hospital personnel said Saturday that his condition had been upgraded from critical to serious.

Hunt said his son has movement in his legs and arms and has opened his eyes briefly.

"He's squeezing fingers, so Demond knows that we're here with him," Hunt said. "He's opened his eyes part-way three or four times. They're waiting for him to open his eyes all the way.

"Right now, they're waiting to see if it continues to drain on its own and the swelling goes down," Hunt added. "If it does, there won't be any need for surgery and they can take the breathing tube out."

Hunt Jr. entered play Friday as the top tackler on the Flyers with 44, including three quarterback sacks. He is considered one of the top junior prospects in the region.

Hunt said the outpouring of concern for his son by the East St. Louis family has been overwhelming.

"When we got to Cardinal Glennon, there were probably 10 or so family members, and I asked one of the medical personnel to come out and explain what was going on with Demond," Hunt said. "When we came out, there were probably 35 people there. It just shows how much people care about Demond, and we are deeply appreciative for their prayers and concern."

Contact reporter Dean Criddle at 239-2665 or dcriddle@bnd.com.