Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
Florida men’s basketball player Keyontae Johnson is in a medically induced coma after collapsing during a game over the weekend, his grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
DeJarnett said in a phone interview that his grandson was transported to Gainesville, Florida on Monday after receiving his initial treatment in Tallahassee, where he collapsed early in Saturday’s game between the Gators and Florida State.
DeJarnett said doctors hoped to bring Johnson out of the coma Monday afternoon.
“They’re just not sure,” DeJarnett told USA TODAY Sports. “He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma. They put him on medication to keep him sedated.”
Florida spokesperson Denver Parler did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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Johnson, the SEC’s preseason player of the year, was taken off the court on a stretcher Saturday as the Gators were coming out of a timeout in the first half. He was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and Florida initially described him as being in critical but stable condition.
The teams finished the game, which the Seminoles won 83-71.
It’s unclear if Johnson’s condition is connected to COVID-19, or if he had previously tested positive. Florida had to pause team activities last month because of positive COVID-19 tests, and coach Mike White said the team also had previous issues, but details were not released because of privacy laws.
DeJarnett, his grandfather, told USA TODAY Sports he did not know whether Johnson ever suffered from the virus.
“I know that there was some of the times when some of the team was quarantined, yes. I don’t know if he was one of them or not,” DeJarnett said.
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