“I don’t really remember anything,” stated senior wide receiver Max Herter. “All I remember is getting hit from both directions in the head, and everything went black.”
It was the third quarter against the Trenton Trojans when Herter was met by two Trojan defenders while catching a pass from senior quarterback Luke Anstead. Both of the defenders hit Herter square in the head, nearly knocking him out.
Herter has had a history of concussions since the 7th grade. He claims to have had eight previous concussions, making this the ninth. He has had concussions in baseball, basketball, and football.
“I would say the worst one was this last one,” Herter said. “I tried to get up twice and ended up falling back down because I was hit so hard.” He claims to not have remembered anything during the moment. He started to get his memory and sense of awareness back minutes after he got back up.
From the crowd’s perspective, Herter was on the ground for a few seconds after he was hit. He then tried to stand up and walk, but fell. He tried it again and fell again. He stayed on the ground for a couple more minutes as the crowd went silent.
Herter eventually got back up on his feet but never came back into the game.
When it’s officially ruled a concussion, the protocol is no light, such as television and phones, and a lot of rest and sleep. Once you’re cleared, you can go back to your normal routine.
“I don’t know when enough will be enough,” Herter said. “I’m almost in double digits for concussions. I’m going to keep playing sports until I’m not allowed to anymore.”
Despite his condition, Herter plans to keep pushing forward.
“My goal right now is to play again Friday,” Herter said. “That’s the biggest game of our regular season, and I really want to play in that.” Being one of the Bulldogs’ best receivers, this could be a huge blow to the team, especially leading up to the biggest regular-season game of the year.