Worried about high school football safety? Here's what the stats show.

Wisconsin has a strong passion for high school football, with games drawing large crowds on Friday nights and college games on Saturdays. The sport's long-term dangers are increasingly being recognized, following the tragic death of 17-year-old Adam Massman after an injury during a high school football game on August 20. Massman, a senior, suffered a helmet-to-helmet contact injury and passed away in the hospital.

While extremely rare, such deaths do occur in high school football, with five deaths reported in this age group in 2025, all classified as indirect. However, direct traumatic injuries have decreased by 44% over the past decade. Non-fatal catastrophic football injuries are also a concern, with 39 reported in 2025, including 31 among middle- and high-school players.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurological disease linked to repeated head injuries, has been found in a significant number of former NFL players. Limiting full-contact practices and emphasizing proper tackling techniques are recommended to reduce injuries, as is opting for flag football, which has been shown to significantly reduce head impacts.