High school statistician dies after collision with football player on sideline

This is just an awful reminder that life is so very fragile.

A retired teacher in Pennsylvania who worked as a statistician for a local high school team died Monday as the result of injuries suffered when a player collided with him on the sidelines during a game.

Tony Cantafio, 67, died Monday after a football player ran into Cantafio on the sidelines during a Scranton Preparatory School game on Sept. 30, CBS News reported. Cantafio died of a traumatic brain injury when he was knocked over, the Lackawanna County coroner told CBS.

The Times-Tribune reported that Cantafio was taken from the field by ambulance to a hospital where he remained until his death.

“He loved being around football,” retired football coach Nick Donato said. “He was a great guy ... we loved him, the kids loved him, it’s just a great loss for Scranton Prep.”

There was an outpouring of support for Cantafio on the Scranton Prep Facebook page. It was touching to see how many people shared stories of Contafio’s impact on their life as a teacher, and with his work for the football and basketball teams.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "High school statistician dies after collision with football player on sideline."