On a football field, a few minutes on the clock can feel like grueling hours.
But waiting outside the emergency room for a teammate can make hours feel like heart-aching minutes.
After receiving calls from their parents that one of their best friends, Jayden McKinney, had been rushed to the hospital, Stephenville football players Hudson Butchee, Aiden Collier and Cash Kribbs wasted no time coming to his side.
“It was a surreal moment for everyone, because it was something that we never thought we’d have to experience,” Kribbs said. “We were there for hours, but it really just felt like minutes.”
The entire team stood outside of the emergency room, holding each other close and hoping for a miracle.
“We just wrapped our arms around each other and just tried to wrap our minds around exactly what’s going on,” Stephenville head coach Sterling Doty said.
Jayden’s mother, Kristi, had no idea, as she herself was preparing for the worst inside.
Once she walked out under the carport and was met with a swarm of hugs, something told her to start a prayer, and everyone joined in.
On March 26, 2023, Jayden passed away following a UTV accident. He’d just finished his freshman football season.
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