A Spanish River High School football player is recovering at Delray Medical Center after suffering a head injury Friday night.
Senior Miles Levine is a team captain for Spanish River. His father, Adam Levine, said it was a terrifying moment on Friday when his son was rushed to the hospital during their first high school season game.
Spanish River was playing West Boca and Miles had collided with a West Boca wide receiver while going up for a ball. Adam Levine said Miles had surgery for a traumatic brain injury Friday night.
“This morning was the first morning that he actually would open his eyes and words were coming out,” said Adam Levine.
He said his son is still in the ICU but his family is by his side as he slowly gets better.
“He walked, he walked and that is huge,” said Adam Levine.
Miles’ coach Willie Ceasar said he is close with the Levine family and he knows this will affect the rest of the team.
“We are just going to bring the whole group together,” said Ceasar.
He said the school does make sure the helmets are reconditioned every year and he will be talking with his players about safety while playing.
“We have been preaching this the whole summer, and before the game we had a talk with the kids, don’t lower your head and don’t lead with your head,” said Ceasar.
Adam Levine said he is hopeful his son will be able to rejoin his team in some way this season.
“We hope that he will be on the sidelines, he will be there with his team cheering right beside everybody,” he said.
The team plans to wear Miles’ number 9 for this week’s game. Ceasar said they also plan to retire his jersey number.
Adam Levine said their main focus right now is getting Miles healthy and continue his goal of getting into the University of Florida and becoming a doctor.
There is a GoFundMe page set up to help the family with medical bills.