Brainerd Football Captain in recovery after suffering a head injury

BRAINERD — Friends and family of Conner Erickson took to social media with thoughts and prayers for him following a head injury during Brainerd High School’s football game Friday night, Sept. 9, against Moorhead.

Conner Erickson is a senior linebacker and captain on the Brainerd High School football team. There was not one specific play or hit that seemed to cause the injury, according to a CaringBridge update posted from Erickson’s aunt Brianna Erickson.

Connor Erickson was on the sideline during the second half of the game when the incident occured. Play stopped for about five or 10 minutes, during which he was wheeled on a stretcher into the back of a waiting ambulance parked on the sidelines of the field.

“We want to send out our thoughts and prayers to Conner Erickson and his family right now,” said Jason Freed, the Brainerd Warriors’ football coach, after the game. “It's a big deal and we’re a family and we love each other.”

There are a lot of unknown factors about what caused Erickson’s injury, but his family set up a GoFundMe and a Caring Bridge page for updates and donations.

According to an update on Connor Erickson’s CaringBridge page, “at some point, the layer between the brain and skull, ‘the dura,’ began to ooze blood.” He was transported to Sanford Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, where he underwent a three-hour long surgery Friday night that carried into Saturday morning.

An update on the high school senior’s Caring Bridge page also mentioned that in order to relieve the pressure on his brain, he had a piece of his skull, about the size of a hand, removed from the left side of his head.

“Conner has been sedated since Friday night which has caused a fever and high blood pressure,” His aunt, Brianna Erickson, wrote in an update on CaringBridge. “As of today, 9/11, the fever and blood pressure have been declining and the swelling has been holding steady.”

Even under sedation, Connor Erickson has been moving his extremities, which the family has noted is a very promising sign at this point.

The family also noted the next 24 hours would be very important for him. His fever, high blood pressure and swelling inside the skull are the biggest hurdles he has to face, they noted.

Friends and family have shown lots of support for Erickson and his family during this time. As of 5:05 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, the GoFundMe page received $23,158, surpassing the family’s original goal of $21,000 in honor of Erickson’s football number, 21.

There are a lot of unknowns at this time and Freed did not feel comfortable speaking out on the subject. After talking it over with the athletic director, Freed said they feel they should talk to the family and respect their wishes before providing any information.

“Instead of reliving it, we would like to focus on how we can help the family moving forward,” Freed said Sunday.

Friends and family have shown their support on social media for Connor Erickson and his family at this time. Erickson’s cousin, Henry, even dedicated his first tackle to him Saturday.

“We are amazed by the support and love that Conner has gotten. We’ve updated our goal since our first was surpassed so quickly,” a post on his GoFundMe page stated. The new goal to help with medical bills and time off from work for his family was increased to $50,021. There were 313 donations listed Sunday.

“... The family is so appreciative of the prayers and support.”

SARA GUYMON, Brainerd Dispatch, staff writer, may be reached at 218-855-5851 or sara.guymon@brainerddispatch.com