LOGAN, Utah — A former Logan High School football player is speaking out after he says concerns over a back injury weren't heard by his head coach and others.
Fifteen-year-old Sione Pauni was a wide receiver and safety for the school's freshman football team last year.
"I was lifting for football practice and I was deadlifting, and I like felt a pop in my back," said Pauni.
Pauni says he asked his head coach if he could be excused from gym class. However, he claims the coach told his teacher that the teen was capable of doing everything he needed to do that day.
"After that, like my legs started going a little numb," said Pauni.
Pauni says he went to the doctor and got a note to excuse him from all activities.
After missing several days of school, Pauni says when he returned, he was met by taunts from older players on the team, as well as his head coach.
"I was walking into class and my coach asked, 'Why was I limping,' and he said, 'Stop milking it, why are you walking like that?'" Pauni recalled.
After another trip to the doctor a few days later, coupled with an MRI, Pauni was taken to Primary Children's Hospital for emergency back surgery.
"I had a herniated disc into a bulging disc, and it like I pinched my nerve and so I lost all function for a while," said Pauni.
Pauni says he was forced to use a wheelchair from February through July.
When contacted by FOX 13 News, Logan High School football coach Bart Bowen emailed and deferred comment to the Logan City School District.
The district provided a statement saying, in part it says "this matter involves sensitive information about students and staff protected by law and requires further investigation." It went on to say Logan High School is unable to provide comment at this time.
"If someone says I heard my back pop, there's so many people that hear them pop and don't do anything as adults, but, you don't often hear that occurring with a child," said Dr. Richard Ferguson, President of the Black Physicians of Utah.
He says when a child has a complaint or expresses they are in pain, they should be heard.
"Much of the mentality with, from soccer to football, basketball, is you kind of suck it up, you take the pain," Ferguson added. "These adolescents don't know any better, so we need to look out for them, especially if they want to have a future in sports."
Eight months after his injury, Pauni, who has transferred from Logan High School, is now using forearm crutches to get around.
"I was doing therapy like almost every day when I first got out of the hospital and now I'm just doing it at home, so it's gotten a lot better."
Pauni has since transferred schools and now attends Fast Forward Charter School in Logan.
