KALAMAZOO, MI — Two weeks after a high school football player body slammed an opponent — fracturing his spine in two places, his family said — the two players came together for a moment of reconciliation.
Video of the incident went viral after the Sept. 18 junior varsity football game between Kalamazoo Central High School and Stevensville Lakeshore High School.
The video depicts 15-year-old Player No. 73 on Kalamazoo Central jumping on top of 15-year-old Colton Comer after a tackle.
The families met up at Panera Bread on Saturday, Oct. 4.
“We knew it was a big deal to just get them in front of each other,” said Orlando Little, an advocate for Fatherhood Network representing Player No. 73 and his family.
Colton Comer’s stepmother McKenzie Burbach reached out to Melrose Hensley, Player No. 73’s father, after learning their family was receiving death threats and other harassment after the video went viral, Little said.
Little helped coordinate the meeting in a space where there weren’t a lot of people around. The boys were joined by their fathers, but went off to talk by themselves.
“True to fashion, they were just kids,” Little said.
Both fathers posted photos of the meetup on Facebook.
“The bad goes viral, let’s let the good go viral,” Ryan Comer wrote.
Ryan Comer was not immediately available for comment.
The boys also spoke together on radio show “Speak on it with Double A,” about their experience after meeting.
The incident has had major repercussions for both players.
For Comer, it’s threatened his football career and more, his family said. He attended a Lakeshore game from the sidelines in a wheelchair on Sept. 26.
For the Kalamazoo Central player, he’s received death threats and repercussions from the school district.
Community members rallied in support of Player No. 73 on Tuesday, Sept. 30, fearing he would be expelled for the incident. They also started a fundraiser to raise money to pay for therapy for the student.
While expulsion wasn’t on the table, district officials didn’t specify what punishment the student received, besides disciplinary action that “far exceeded MHSAA requirements.”
Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLive’s local Kalamazoo news page.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
link
