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COKATO, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota high school linebacker who collapsed on the field unconscious during a game is responding to doctors and family members following surgery for a serious head injury.
The Star Tribune ( http://bit.ly/15F5ks) reports that Hennepin County Medical Center surgeons early Saturday removed the right half of 16-year-old Dassel-Cokato junior Luke Nelson's skull to reduce swelling and let his brain heal.
The teen's relatives posted on his CaringBridge webpage later Saturday that he had regained consciousness and was "even cracking a few jokes."
Nelson was injured making a tackle during Friday night's home game against Orono. Orono coach Jeff Weiland says he reviewed game film and it appears Nelson stayed on the field for several plays after he was injured and before he collapsed.
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