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Kirsti Marohn
Brainerd, Minn.

Brainerd High School football player injured during game is improving

A person in a football jersey smiles for a photo
Connor Erickson collapsed on the sidelines during a Sept. 9 football game in Moorhead.
Courtesy of the Brainard Dispatch

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The family of a Brainerd High School football captain who suffered a serious head injury during a game earlier this month says he is improving and has been moved out of intensive care.

Conner Erickson collapsed on the sidelines during a Sept. 9 game in Moorhead. He was taken to a Fargo hospital, where he underwent surgery and has been hospitalized ever since.

According to a CaringBridge site created by his family, Erickson was taken off a ventilator and sedation this week, and moved out of the pediatric ICU.

Family members called it “a huge step in the right direction,” but said Erickson still has a long road to recovery ahead.

The CaringBridge site said there was no specific hit during the game that seemed to cause the injury. During surgery, doctors removed a piece of Erickson’s skull to relieve pressure caused by swelling.

There has been an outpouring of support for the high school senior from the community and around the state. Local businesses launched fundraisers, and a GoFundMe site has raised more than $77,000 to help the family with medical bills.

The Minnesota Gophers football team sent messages from the players and coaches with a message to keep “rowing the boat.”

On Monday, Erickson was named Brainerd's homecoming king. Other students carried his #21 football jersey.