Colton Mims returned to the field in a wheelchair following a terrible injury that could haunt him for the rest of his life.
Mims, a 15-year-old Lakeshore Lancers junior varsity player, suffered two spinal fractures after getting pancaked by an opponent during a football game last month.
The teenager had been blocked and thrown to the ground by an unnamed opposing player who decided to belly-flop on him while he lay defenseless. The play resulted in the serious injury noted above, with the other player, who attends Kalamazoo Central High School, having been punished by his district.
Update on the football 🏈 player who was body slammed by an unnamed player.
Colten had his spine fractured in 2 places!
How brave is he to be at the game to see his teammates!
I pray he will make a full recovery! ❤️🩹🙏 pic.twitter.com/zpjmrmeAN7
— Kathleen Winchell ❤️🤍💙🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@KathleenWinche3) October 2, 2025
Mims returned to the field to watch his team play in a recent game, sitting in a wheelchair on the sideline after reuniting with his teammates at Dickinson Stadium in St. Joseph, Michigan. Parents and players welcomed him back with a prayer circle.
His mother, Courtney Mims, shared her gratitude for the support she has received from the community via Facebook, lauding the bond within the Lakeshore program.
Kalamazoo Central High School Takes “Strong And Decisive Action”
A Kalamazoo player has sought offered clarification, condemning his teammate’s actions but insisting that he never meant to harm Colton and simply pulled off a celebratory stunt that went wrong.
Kalamazoo Central also announced having taken “strong and decisive action” against the student in question.
The disciplinary measures were not disclosed due to student privacy laws, but the kid’s father was seen making an emotional plea to the school board, begging them not to take his son’s education, though he acknowledged his wrongdoing.
Michigan High School Athletics Association officials have since confirmed that those measures exceeded standard punishment for dangerous, unsportsmanlike conduct.
Colton Mims remains on muscle relaxers and is awaiting follow-up CT scans to determine his potential return to the field.
