By By Chandler Myers
Former Flomaton High School football player Sam Collins died on Friday from a heat stroke suffered during his second day of football practices at Huntingdon College.
Collins, a 2008 graduate of FHS, had just arrived at the campus on Aug. 13 to begin participating in fall practices for the Hawks.
Marion Collins, Collins’ mother and director of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program at the Atmore SAIL Center, said the doctors said the cause of death was malignant hyperthermia, which is caused by the body creating more heat than it can release and eventually climbs so high it can shut down organs.
While Collins’ time on the campus was short, school officials said he was fitting in nicely with the team and was going to be a great addition to the campus.
Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West said Collins was an intelligent person, who was excited about starting his college career. He added that the Collins family will be in the thoughts and prayers of the Huntingdon community.
Collins had really shown his coaches the potential he had during the first day of practices, according to head coach Mike Turk, who shared the same sentiments as West.
Turk said that Collins was a special person who looked to do well in college.
Collins began complaining at practice prior to being transported to an infirmary close to Huntingdon and later a local hospital.
Collins mother said she blames no one at the school or on the coaching staff because she knows they did everything they could.
She added that no one should be blamed because you never know what is going to happen.
The memorial services for Sam Collins will be held at Flomaton High School this weekend with a wake being held Friday night at 6 p.m. in the FHS auditorium and the funeral also in the auditorium beginning Saturday at 10 a.m.