PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. — About six months ago, Jake Rosebaugh suffered a major concussion during a high school football game, which happened when an opposing player smashed him in the head with his own helmet, not from a violent tackle.
“It kills me to hear my team, you know, doing their break down, and I’m not up there with them,” Jake lamented.
Offseason football training is going on right now, and for the first time, Jake is sitting on the sidelines.
“It’s been rough,” he added.
During the game back in October, Colin Byrd, a student playing for Platte County R-3 High School against Winnetonka when he ripped off Jake’s helmet and struck him in the head with it.
“Ultimately ended his football career,” said Jake’s dad, Curtis.
Curtis says the concussion not only had an impact on his son`s health, but has ruined his chances of keeping any football scholarships he was offered.
“Everybody said, ‘you’ve got to hang your helmet up, Jake,’” added Curtis.
“I wake up every morning with a headache, and sometimes I’m just depressed because of it, and in school — I can’t concentrate,” said Jake.
He’s been in summer school because missed so much class time due to his concussion.
“I was always worried about Jacob getting a knee taken out or a shoulder taken out — a concussion was the last thing on my mind…and the way it happened was really devastating to me too,” said Curtis. “Concussions are not to be taken lightly.”
Colin Byrd was convicted of third-degree assault and two years of supervised probation. He was sentenced to 12 weeks of anger management classes, and 100 hours of community service.
He also had to write Jake an apology letter and pay him restitution. Jake and his dad wanted to share their story in hopes of raising awareness about concussions.