UNIONTOWN, Ohio — What seemed to be a routine tackle under the Friday night lights turned into a very serious injury for a player on the Lake "Blue Streaks" Football team.
Justin Landes, 17, suffered a lacerated kidney and internal bleeding. He underwent surgery over the weekend.
Now, his teammates and the community are rallying to support the teen and his family.
"He's just, like, this kid who has incredible drive. He's smart. He's kind. He's genuine. He's kind of the real deal," said family friend Heather Simms.
Landes works on his family's farm, loves animals and hopes to be a veterinarian someday. He also loves football.
But on Oct. 17, during a game against the Hoover Vikings, Landes sustained a frightening injury as he was holding the ball for an extra point.
"We were attempting to kick our extra point. It was a low snap; he picked it up, rolled out to the left," said Lake High School Football Coach Dan DeGeorge. "As he went to throw it, he took a shot going out of bounds, so he was sort of opened up."
At first, DeGeorge thought the teen got the wind knocked out of him, but Landes was in a lot of pain. Team doctor, Mark Huduk, and trainers realized it was more serious.
"When it's something like this that you're not used to and you don't know what could happen, I think the unknown was very scary and still is for all of us," DeGeorge said.
The senior was rushed to Akron Children's Hospital, where doctors learned he had a lacerated kidney from the tackle and internal bleeding.
"How did this happen? It's rare It's an anomaly. It's a fluke," Simms said.
After undergoing surgery on Oct. 18, Landes was moved to a regular room, but he's alert and conscious, Simms said. His teammates visited him over the weekend, presenting him with a signed game ball.
Landes told his coach that he wanted to get back out there and play.
"Just a small token to hang on in bed with him as he's trying to get through all of this, but again, some of his teammates going up yesterday, I think, was a huge lift for him as well," DeGeorge said.
The community is also rallying to support the teen's family. His mother, Julie, is a teacher at Lake High School and a track coach. His dad, Jason, faced his own health challenges and had a liver transplant last year.
"His dad is barely leaving his sight, and I do know that like he left today to go have a test done to make sure that he's doing okay, but his dad had to get back to his son as soon as possible," Simms said.
To help the family through the ordeal, donations are coming in, and Simms believes prayers are helping, too.
CLICK HERE for more information on how to donate.
"I know that he has a long recovery, and Justin being an agile and healthy athlete, I'm hoping that is on his side," Simms said.
