Freshman Footballer Suffers Severe Injuries in ‘Traumatic’ Incident at His School

A high school football player has allegedly been left with severe injuries from an incident that occurred at his school in Alabama.

On Aug. 19, freshman August Borden, 15, was airlifted to the hospital after suffering injuries at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, according to KBTX and local media outlet Waay 31 News. Waay 31 News reported that Borden’s mother, Kristen Van Devender, said school had told her Borden had suffered a “traumatic fall” and when she saw him he was “covered in blood.”

According to the outlet. Borden’s injuries include a skull fracture behind his sinus cavity, fractures to his orbital bones and a severe concussion, though Kristen and her husband Drew Van Devender do not believe they were caused by a fall.

In a post on Facebook on Saturday, Aug. 23, Borden’s stepfather Drew said he and Borden’s mother received a call from the school and that the teen had already been loaded into an ambulance.

“We arrived and were told that he had received CPR. His injuries were significant enough for him to be airlifted to Birmingham ICU,” he wrote. “August sustained skull fractures and lost consciousness for almost two days.”

“From one parent to another, you don’t know fear until you see your son flown by Air Evac to a hospital hours away,” he added.

Drew went on to say that they had “no real details of the incident and would just like answers,” adding that anyone with information should contact himself or his wife.

In an update on Saturday, he said that Borden had been discharged from hospital and was recovering at home.

“UAB Doctors say he should have full brain function within the next 2 weeks. He is progressing well,” the statement read. “He still has a few trips back to UAB for the facial fractures once the swelling  subsides.  Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. I wasn’t trying to start a revolution, I just wanted to get answers as any parent would.”

His mother Kristen also told Waay 31 News she was “grateful” to have her son home but she was “still distraught” from what happened. “It’s so hard to process that something like this would happen to your child, seeing your child airlifted and incubated, it’s been so tragic,” she said.

In an earlier post on Facebook on Aug. 20, his mother said Borden was not at football practice when the incident occurred and that he “took a fall.”

August’s father Jason Borden told KBTX that some people said his son fell down the stairs, while others said another student attacked him. According to the outlet, the father shared his concerns with the Tuscumbia Police Department, who then started an investigation.

The department confirmed on Sunday that they were investigating the case.

“Tuscumbia Police Department is aware of the recent incident at Deshler High School involving a 15-year-old in our community,” the release read. “We understand there are many questions and concerns being shared, and we want to assure you that this matter is being taken very seriously.”

Police added that they were actively reviewing all evidence in “a fair process” while “protecting the privacy and well-being of those involved.”

Chief Tony Logan told KBTX that the police were yet to interview the student “because of his medical issues.” “As soon as we can talk to him, it will clarify a lot,” Logan said.

Mayor of Tuscumbia, William Foster, also released a statement on Monday.

“Last Tuesday at around 4 PM, an emergency call came in to our 911 that a student was hurt at Deshler High School,” he wrote on Facebook while tagging authorities. ”The initial report was the injury was due to a fall, CPR was in progress, and the child was having a seizure. A helicopter was called in for air evacuation.”

He added, “Our Tuscumbia first responders were on site after the call in about 2 to 3 minutes. Many of you know exactly who I’m talking about. I’m talking about Deshler Freshman football player August Borden.”

“Our first priority was to get the young man the medical attention he needed as quickly as possible,” Foster said. “On this, our first responders and medical professionals appear to have done excellent work with a serious injury and I’m happy to report the young man was discharged on Thursday and is now recovering at home.”

The Mayor added that August could not remember details of the event, stating he “describes Tuesday as a blackout.”

“The initial 911 call was a medical call. It was not a criminal call. The initial report was that August fell,” Foster continued. “Some have said he fell off the bleachers, some say down some stairs in a building, some have said he fell down some stairs outside a building. As you can see, there are a lot of different stories, and the stories differ even within those who were there when August got hurt.”

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Foster said authorities were investigating and assured the community that they “will get to the bottom of this.”

“Until further notice, let us please lift up August and his family in positive thoughts and healing prayers,” he concluded.

Tuscumbia City Schools also said on Monday that they were “cooperating with the Tuscumbia City Police Department on the incident that happened on Tuesday, August 19th, 2025.”

“This is currently an active investigation. Due to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) guidelines, we are not allowed to discuss information pertaining to minor students,” they continued on Facebook. “Our goal is to aide the Tuscumbia Police Department and not hinder their investigation. Therefore, we will not respond to any social media posts.”

“We continue to pray for the student who was injured and their family. We ask that you continue to lift them up in prayers as well,” they added.

PEOPLE has contacted Tuscumbia Police Department, Deshler High School and Borden’s stepfather for further comment.