Arkansas high school football player practices with a venomous snake in his helmet
A high school football player in Arkansas discovered a venomous cottonmouth snake inside his helmet during practice. The snake was safely removed by authorities, and the player was unharmed.
Why it matters
The incident serves as a bizarre but important reminder for athletes to inspect sports equipment for environmental hazards.
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MAUMELLE, Ark. (AP) — A high school football player in Arkansas had every right to be rattled after finding a venomous snake inside his helmet during practice.
The Maumelle High student felt unusual movement inside his headgear following warmups last week and brought his helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. A slithering 2-foot cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding.
The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag. Animal services technicians arrived a few minutes later, identified the snake as a deadly cottonmouth and took it to a wooded area far from the school.
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