Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson was placed in a medically induced coma after collapsing during a game over the weekend, his grandfather told USA Today on Monday.
Johnson collapsed during a game against Florida State in Tallahassee on Saturday and was transported back to Gainesville on Monday.
“They’re just not sure,” Larry DeJarnett told USA Today. “He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma. They put him on medication to keep him sedated.”
DeJarnett told the outlet that doctors hope to bring Johnson out of the coma later Monday.
The SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year, Johnson finished an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Tyree Appleby to give the Gators an 11-3 lead just 3:42 into the game, prompting a timeout by Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton.
Coming out of the timeout, the 6-foot-5 junior from Norfolk, Va., fell forward onto his face near the center court logo, according to Florida play-by-play announcer Mick Hubert.
Medical staff rushed to treat Johnson, who was taken off the court on a stretcher and transported to Tallahassee Memorial.
His teammates huddled together on the court, many of them in tears, before the teams resumed playing. Florida State (3-0) ultimately handed Florida (3-1) its first loss of the season, 83-71.
Johnson, who scored five points against the Seminoles, entered the game averaging 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds this season. The All-SEC honoree averaged 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in 31 games in 2019-20.
Johnson and several teammates tested positive for COVID-19 in the offseason, according to the Associated Press. Studies have linked the virus to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to cardiac arrest in the most severe cases.
However, DeJarnett told USA Today he wasn’t sure if Johnson “was one of them or not.”
(Field Level Media)
