Garden Grove High football player collapses, dies

Preliminary autopsy results were expected this afternoon following the death of a Garden Grove High School senior fullback and linebacker, who died after a Friday night football game at Westminster High School.

Kevin Telles, 17, was injured during a play and was lying in the field when Orange County Fire Authority paramedics arrived about 9:17 p.m., said fire authority Capt. Greg McKeown.

“Bystanders were doing CPR on him when we arrived,” McKeown said. “Paramedics continued that effort."

He was then transported to Huntington Beach Hospital.

Witnesses said Telles was lying motionless on the ground.

“I didn’t see any movement,” said Ron Vander Sluis, athletic director at La Quinta High School and former coach at Garden Grove. “Initially, it seemed like a normal play. People thought maybe it was just a stinger, like a ankle sprain, and he was trying to collect himself. You know, suck it up and then get back in the game.”

Instead, Vander Sluis was among dozens of people who rushed to the hospital and gathered in the lobby Friday night hoping for the best.

“It was a huge crowd,” said Vander Sluis, fighting back tears. “The whole team was there, along with the cheerleaders. Parents, administrators and coaches showed up.”

Telles was pronounced dead at 10:25 p.m., according to Orange County supervising deputy coroner Larry Esslinger.

“He was a great kid, a great football player,” said Vander Sluis, who coached Telles for three years. “He would do anything you would ask him to do. He was very coachable.”

“It’s very hard. It’s a very tight-knit community,” he added. “It’s such a tragedy to see young people die.”

The accident resonated at high schools throughout the region.

On Sept. 16, 2008, Boron High School sophomore safety running back Vinnie Rodriguez died after being removed from life support. He had been injured four days earlier making a tackle in a game against Riverside High School for the Deaf.

In an interview Saturday, Boron High ahletic director Jim Boghosian said, “It still hurts. Everyday we talk about it. We wear his number on our helmets.”

Boron coach Todd Fink said, “Dealing with it is the toughest thing I’ve had to go through. ... It’s the worst nightmare you can encounter.”

--- Ben Bolch and Louis Sahagun

Comments

[Andrew Derek]

Well this is definitely a tragedy. What I want to know, however, is how it happened?
Was he just lying there motionless?
Was it because of impact of a tackle? Etc.
Please verify this if possible.

[Anonymous]

It is said that the impact on his chest was so hard it caused his heart to stop;;he was such a nice guy i really am going to miss him RIP baby!!

[sandra]

my friend from soccer was one of her bfs and of how she told me it was really bad the last time that she ever talked to him was before the game and she woke up with tons and tons of forwards on her cell that said he was dead we had a soccer game today and her head was not in the game if really felt for her it must have been really bad and of wat she told me his mom and everyone were sooo sad cause he was in his last year of school and everyone is very sad to hear that he died so everyone is going to wear black on Monday to honor him

[sandra]

RIP KEVIN I KNOW HOW MUCH THEY LOVED YOU

[tigervtx]

My prayers to Kevin's family and friends...

[Sue]

Hi, I found a typo there.

3rd line, in the 6th paragraph, "like a ankle sprain"

an ankle?

Cheers and fight on!

^__^

[Robert]

How many more will have to die so senselessly until we get rid of contact sports in our schools? A terrible shame.

[Tam Pham]

How do you leave out the cause of death or at least mention that the cause is being investigated. What a glaring and stupid omission! What a paper!

[GET REAL]

May he RIP!!
Its always a sad day when a young mans life is cut short.

[Joe Jericho]

Just awful, and I am very sorry for those suffering this loss. May God give comfort to all.

[c]

did they stop the game? I don't understand how they could just keep playing knowing that a player left in an ambulance not breathing. Please do some better reporting.

[Loretta T]

Kevin Telles, died a hero and he died doing what he loved best.. FOOTBALL..I am so proud of him, he was the greatest football player i know. He was many things to man people, and it showed.He always cared more about others then himself. He cut his prized hair and donated to cancer patients. Last week it was my sisters baby shower, and could u imagine a 6 foot 200 plus linebacker cutting bright pink ribbion. At the same time feeding and attending the homeless people at the park putting a smile on their faces.I love my lil cousin, he was my favorite and i was his, we had a special bond him and i. From laughing and making jokes, to pulling cranks on our parents.. I love u and always remember that. Before u even died your picture was on our mantel, and i use to tell everyone when they walked in this is my favorite cousin Kevin, and his gonna be a star u watch, I am gonna be he's agent, and he got a big smile, he loved his family more then anything. He's mom was his hero and always stood by his side. He was her everything, and i ask the public to pray for her and him. Kevin God needed a Line Backer and he got the best!! Being in heaven I am guessing you got a big contract, beat that TRoy!!

[Claudia]

He didnt get hit. From what I read in almost all articles, it wasn't a hit. I read that he was going for a hit and that he collapsed on the field before the hit.
Also, the game was stopped after that happened. There was about 2 minutes left in the game vs. Westminster HS. This is article is poorly written.
I dont know all the facts, but I have consistently read it wasn't a hit that killed him. Im sure once the autopsy comes out it will be known. Either way, this is a terrible tragedy!

RIP KEVIN TELLES

[Alberto Magaña]

R.I.P. Kevin Telles you'll be an inspiration to us all

[Anonymous]

WOW!!!
i was there, i was at the game
how horrible for that to happen....
it was realyy sad!
oh and the abulance took long to come
and yeah they stopped the game..
even though i never actually met kevin i seriousy cryed it was really sad!
RIP KEVIN!
everybody in WHS loves u!!!

[Anonymous]

wow.. okk well I've known Kevin since like 5th grade now i a m a senior... he was so amazing i cant even believe he is gone. It hurts so much yet makes me so mad to know he is gone. its sucks dude like i havent even talked to him in like 2 years i think and now im never gonna get thee chance to talk to him again. and for Andrew Derek there was nobody around him at thee moment he fell there was no impact there was no reason, he just fell and went into convulsions and thee autopsy said there was no reason for him to have left us .. deng it really sucks rest in paradise Kevin we all are gonna miss you so much we love you ALOT.!

[Eddie]

There is no mention of an Athletic Trainer being onsite. Also, no mention of cause of death. I am assuming and we all know where that gets us, but I would suspect second impact syndrome.

[RODRIGUEZ]

I WOULD LIKE TO SEND MY DEEPEST REGRET AND CONDOLENCE FOR YOUR LOST WE UNFORTANELY WHENT THROUGH THE SAME A YEAR AGO ALMOST TO THE DATE MY NEPHEW WAS VINNIE RODRIGUEZ WHO PLAYED FOR BORON BUT IT STILL SEEM LIKE YESTERDAY OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHT ARE WITH YOU

[kacie doan]

kevin telles was and awsome kid and he will be missed
i was only ten feet away and couldnt do anything about it
if kevin played at home garden grove high he would of still been alive and playing those games like they were nothing to easy

KEVIN WE MISS U
U WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS