by Luli Ortiz
12NEWS
WELLINGTON, Fla (CBS12) — The Wellington community is in shock following the sudden loss of Delani Smith, a beloved local student athlete.
According to family, Smith collapsed while practicing on the football field Monday at Wellington High School, doing what he loved. Despite efforts to revive him with CPR, he tragically passed away at a hospital Tuesday, one day before his 21st birthday.
Family, friends, former teammates, and coaches, as well as law enforcement gathered Thursday night to remember Smith. At a vigil, they described him as a leader who loved playing sports, including lacrosse. They said Denali was a dedicated athlete who left a lasting impact on those around him.
Known for his positive attitude and genuine care for others, he played football at Wellington High School for four years before heading off to college.
His mother, Latoya Mills, described him as her pride and joy.
“That’s what’s keeping me going,” said Latoya Mills. “I feel extremely blessed that he and the universe chose me to be his mother. It’s almost unexplainable; his heart was healthy.”
Raising Awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Delani’s tragic incident sheds light on an alarming statistic: sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death among young athletes in the U.S. According to the National Institutes of Health, black athletes appear to be at higher risk.
Judy-Ann Wellington, a local nurse and family friend, expressed concern.
“There are a lot of young athletes going into cardiac arrest, and we need to figure out why. I hear this story all too often,” said Judy-Ann Wellington.
Scot Haynes, Delani’s former lacrosse coach, talked about Delani’s healthy lifestyle: “He never drank, smoked, or did drugs. He wouldn’t even take stimulants for pre-workouts. He was in the best shape of anyone I know.”
Delani had earned a college scholarship to play football at Graceland University in Iowa, where he was studying psychology with aspirations of becoming an educator and motivational speaker.
“He was the most enthusiastic, motivated most hardworking kid at 100 pounds overweight. He was the fastest pulling card of the offensive lines of the football team. He’s coming out and carrying all that extra weight for football, but he’d still hustled as hard as the lightest, fastest guy in the lacrosse team,” said Haynes.
“That is what’s keeping me going right now, is all the love and support from the community. His college family, his lacrosse family, spiritual family,” said Latoya Mills.
Delani’s body has been taken to the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death.
There is a GoFundMe set up help the family in their time of grief.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/wellington-student-athlete-collapses-dies-after-football-practice
