GREENSBORO, N.C. — Damar Hamlin's injury is scary for athletes and coaches of any sport. We've never seen something like this unfold on live television, but something similar happened here on the high school level.
Tuesday we spoke with the family of Josh Level, a Triad teen who lost his life in the middle of a game.
Josh Level's family is all too familiar with the pain of seeing their loved one laying unresponsive on the floor during a sporting event.
In 2013, during a basketball game in Winston-Salem. Josh suffered a cardiac episode which late took his life.
Now, his father Joseph shares with us what an event like this can feel like, and how it can affect a family.
"This may be a first in the NFL, but it's not a first here in my life, or in Guilford County. We don't know what Damar's situation is going to be, but certainly, we are pulling for him to survive", is how Level described his emotions after seeing what took place during the Bills vs. Bengals game.
We understand that football is a violent sport and injuries are a part of the game. So we spoke with Dudley's head football coach, about how these kinds of events can affect the coaching staff and players.
"My first thought is, is the kid going to be ok? Immediately you think about the kid, how bad is it, and of course his teammates. I can be tough as a coach but loving as a football father. Whether it's a traumatic injury like we saw last night or winning the state championship, I'm always here like a father figure, and don't feel like you can't come to me anytime, anyplace", Steven Davis, Dudley's Head football coach said.
Unfortunately for the Level family, there was no A.E.D. in the gym the day Josh collapsed. In the wake of his death, friends and family put on an annual basketball tournament to raise money to help purchase more AED devices for schools and recreational centers.