NCAA News Wire
San Diego State player collapses during game
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
San Diego State senior Dwayne Polee II collapsed on the court during the first half of Monday night’s game against UC Riverside.
Paramedics rushed to the floor and attended to the Aztec senior for 15minutes.
According to UT San Diego, Polee appeared to be conscious while medical personnel treated him on the court. An SDSU spokesman said Polee was “completely responsive” and taken to a local hospital.
The spokesman did not give any reason for why Polee collapsed.
A onetime starter, Polee entered the game around the 15-minute mark of the first half.
With 11:08 left in the half and the Aztecs leading 14-8, Polee was trying to defend his man when he lost consciousness, fell to the floor and lay motionless on his side.
UT San Diego reported his parents rushed from the stands as SDSU coach Steve Fisher and medical person ran toward the fallen player.
Medical personnel appeared to use a defibrillator, UT San Diego reported. The arena was silent except for a brief moment when fans chanted Polee’s name.
The fifth-year senior began his career at St. John’s. He had not showed any signs of being in distress prior to collapsing.
The crowd gave Polee a standing ovation as he was taken off the court on a stretcher and the game resumed.
