Thunder player's death underscores risks
by Paul Reeths
February 27, 2007 - World Indoor Football League 2 (WIFL 2)
Daytona Beach Thunder
A sporting event is supposed to be a place where fans and players alike can go to forget about the problems of the real world. This is especially true in minor league sports in which most players are suiting up for the love of the game, and fans just want to be entertained by a good show, even if they haven't seen any of the players in a commercial.
That's what makes what happened Monday night at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, all the more tragic. Defensive back Javon Camon, playing in his first indoor football game this season for the Daytona Beach Thunder, was blocked by Columbus Lions receiver Juval Winston following an interception by a Thunder teammate. The 25-year-old Camon crumpled to the turf and would not get up. Emergency medical staff tried to resuscitate him to no avail. Camon was pronounced dead on arrival at Halifax Regional Medical Center.
"My son passed away doing what he loved most," said Nathalie Montgomery, Camron's mother.
By all accounts, it was a clean play. In the melee that ensues when the defense turns into the offense, players are often caught unaware and blocked hard. The same sequence of events occurs hundreds, if not thousands, of times yearly on outdoor and indoor fields across the country. It was a typical play, except for the horrible outcome.
Unfortunately, this is not the first death to sting the indoor game. On April 10, 2005, 26-year-old Al Lucas of the Arena Football League's Los Angeles Avengers died from a spinal cord injury suffered after making a tackle on a kickoff return.
It was another play football fans have seen hundreds of times indoors and out.
In 2003, Bakersfield Blitz fullback/linebacker Julian Yearwood suffered cardiac arrest on the sidelines after blocking a kick. Despite immediate medical attention, he also passed away.
Making sense out of tragedy is always an elusive goal. The finality of death makes it even more difficult. Perhaps as spectators the only thing we can do is to offer Javon Camon's teammates, friends and family our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and remember the risk these players take to entertain us.
World Indoor Football League 2 Stories from February 27, 2007
- Javon Camon Memorial Service Information - Daytona Beach Thunder
- Thunder player's death underscores risks - OSC Original by Paul Reeths
- McKinney finishes with 10 catches - Daytona Beach Thunder
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
