SAN ANTONIO – A Stevens High School student who witnessed a teammate collapse during football practice says players repeatedly tried to alert coaches that something was wrong before the teen lost consciousness and later died.
The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said the incident happened during an evening practice when the team was doing conditioning drills that included repeated “up downs,” a form of physical exercise used as punishment.
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School officials identified the student as Jaren Troy Lawson, a junior at Stevens High School. Northside Independent School District said Lawson passed out during practice Tuesday and was assessed on campus by athletic trainers before being transported by EMS to a hospital, where he died shortly after midnight.
District officials said Lawson’s death occurred at the hospital, not on campus. His coach accompanied him to the hospital and remained there for much of the evening. The school principal has notified the school community, and an investigation is underway.
According to the student, who asked to remain anonymous, Lawson began slowing down, stumbling and struggling to stand. His eyes appeared to be closing, and his speech became slurred as practice continued.
You could tell for a while that there was something wrong with him,” the student said. “Even me and the kids next to him were saying something wasn’t right.
The student said players attempted to help their teammate up and down during the drills, believing at first he was simply exhausted in the heat. As his condition worsened, the student said Lawson tried to speak but was unable to clearly communicate.
The student said Lawson eventually collapsed while standing. Trainers were called to the field and moved the teen to the side, while an ambulance was requested. During that time, the student said the rest of the team was instructed to continue practicing.
We had to watch it happen while we were still doing the workout,” the student said. “We couldn’t stop.
The student said trainers and staff began asking questions about whether the teen had been sick or was taking new medication. Lawson was later taken away on a stretcher.
The following morning, players learned Lawson had died.
The student said the news spread quietly in the weight room, where teammates were crying and struggling to process what had happened.
I was scared,” the student said. “I was worried about my friend, and I was confused about why we were still being pushed to work out while all of that was happening.
The student said the incident has left them uncertain about returning to practice and raised concerns about whether players’ health complaints are taken seriously.
“I want the coaches to start listening to the players,” the student said. “I want it to feel like a family, not like the military. We’re teenagers.”
The student also described a culture in which players may feel pressured to push through illness or discomfort out of fear of losing playing time. At school the day after the death, the student said football players met with coaches and counselors, spending time together in silence and writing letters to Lawson’s family.
When asked what they would say to their teammate, the student said he would be remembered for his positivity.
He was always a positive person,” the student said. “You could feel his energy when he walked in. The mood always changed.
The district has said it is reviewing the incident.