'Everything went black': Johnston County athlete survives rare on-field heart attack

Eating breakfast at school, arriving at the field house, and playing music to warm up: That’s what Krisjon Clark remembers about Friday, Oct. 17.

“I went through my normal routine,” Clark told WRAL. “It felt like I was going to have a good game.”

Clark and his team entered the game against Southeast Raleigh 7-0, ready to continue their undefeated streak.

“I knew I was going to have a big game,” the receiver said.

A few plays into the third quarter, Clark said the last thing he remembers was lining up in formation. Seconds later, he was running with the ball when two defenders hit him near the 40-yard line.

Clark collapsed instantly. He was unconscious and stopped breathing.

“I came across and everything kind of blanked out for me,” he said. “Everything went black. I still can’t remember it to this day.”

'Get up Krisjon!'

Krisjon suffered a rare cardiac arrest known as commotio cordis. It’s a heart attack brought on by a hard impact to the chest.

Kris and Latasha Clark remember watching their worst fear come true from the stands.

“At that moment you see something but you’re not quite sure,” Latasha Clark said. “You’re just asking the Lord to be with you.”

Kris Clark said his wife got onto the field first, and remembers hearing her scream, “Jesus, Jesus, get up Krisjon!”

A coach had already cut Krisjon’s jersey and started compressions, which the Kris Clark eventually took over on the field as the athletic trainer, Lakindra McKnight, ran to get the AED.

“I probably did 5-10 compressions and then the AED told us to back up and administer the shock,” Kris Clark said. “They checked and he had a pulse, so then it was about keeping him stable.”

Head Coach Scott Riley told WRAL it was a moment he’ll never forget.

“When he started breathing again, it was the biggest win of my career,” the head coach of more than a decade said. “God makes a big difference, but also God giving people the wisdom to learn CPR and to that training plays a really big role.”

Krisjon Clark was taken to WakeMed Raleigh.

Dr. Graham Snyder was working in the emergency room when the teen was brought in.

The emergency medicine physician said Krisjon survived because those around him didn’t hesitate to jump into action.

“If a person collapses, and they’re not breathing – you start CPR. That’s what happened in this case and that’s what saved this child’s life,” Snyder stated.

The condition is more often seen in children, but Snyder stated that’s likely due to the volume of children playing impact sports compared to adults.

A life-saving response

Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin suffered the same kind of heart attack in January 2023 during a NFL game.

“It’s an extremely unlucky, rare phenomenon where if a person is hit in their chest just at the right millisecond, it can start an electrical storm in the heart that is difficult to fix without shocking them back to life,” Snyder explained. “This is rare; we’re talking dozens of cases a year in the United States, of hundreds of millions of people. I don’t want people to be afraid of sports.”

The physician said he has also seen a few other cases where the condition occurred after someone was hit by a karate punch, or hits to the chest with lacrosse and baseballs.

Snyder explained recovery from commotio cordis is largely dependent on how quickly medical aid is administered.

“The AED is profoundly important for saving your life. There’s a chance that compressions might trip the heart back into its normal rhythm, but that’s going to be nowhere near as successful as an AED,” the physician said.

The doctor said the best way the community can be prepared for rare events like what happened to Krisjon is to be trained in CPR and how to use an AED.

WakeMed Health and the American Heart Association are hosting several local CPR and AED courses in the coming weeks.

“He could’ve collapsed and we could’ve put him on an F-15 and flown him to Harvard, and he would’ve died,” Snyder said. “What matters is: Did he get compressions and did he get defibrillated. The big thing to take away is it’s the immediate and decisive action of the bystanders that is the most important.”

'Did we win?'

Krisjon said he remembered waking up in the hospital, and asking his dad, ‘Did we win?’

The senior returned to class for the first time Thursday, before joining his team for practice to watch from the sidelines.

“I’ve been doing speed walks to make sure my heartrate is good,” he said. “Everything feels normal.”

Krisjon continued, “I hope I end up coming back and being able to play in the next game. If not, just to play again this season.”

The player learned on Friday the results of his recent cardiac MRI were good. A stress test on Monday will help determine next steps in his return to the field.

While everyone else is focusing on his heart, the student joked he’s focused on his thumb after tweaking it during a game earlier in the season.

“My hats off to the medical team, the coaching staff, the athletic trainers – but mostly, we give God the glory for allowing us to have another opportunity with our son,” Kris Clark said.

The family also expressed thanks to the community and Krisjon’s teammates for their support.

“They have such a great love for one another and they fight for one another,” Latasha Clark said of Krisjon’s teammates. “The community grabbed around that team and they were praying on the field.”

Krisjon said Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland High School alum Omarion Hampton was among those who have sent get-well-soon wishes and words of encouragement.

The receiver said his ultimate goal is to attend Clemon to play football, and eventually be drafted to the Seattle Seahawks to join Hampton in the NFL. Kris Clark said he is rooting for his son’s success, but joked he’d prefer a future call from the 49ers.

The Rams beat Southeast Raleigh 28-10 to win their 60th straight regular season game. Krisjon and 14 other seniors will be honored during Friday night’s home game against Smithfield-Selma.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.