[Baltimore Sun] Franklin High football player Leslie Noble IV died from heart condition, medical examiner says
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Leslie Noble IV, the Franklin High School junior football player who collapsed during practice in mid-August, died of a heart condition considered a natural cause, according to Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The 16-year-old offensive lineman suffered a medical emergency during the team’s first day of preseason practices on Aug. 14. Lifesaving measures were already in progress by the time first responders arrived that morning at 9:15 a.m., the Baltimore County Fire Department said. Police dispatchers, at the time, referred to heatstroke. Noble, of Reisterstown, was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.
Stephanie Moore, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, said Wednesday the cause was “cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy.” According to the National Institutes of Health, cardiomegaly is an umbrella term for conditions involving an enlarged heart, while biventricular hypertrophy involves the thickening of the walls of the heart.
A funeral service for Noble was held in late August at Vaughn Greene Funeral Home in Randallstown. There, the lineman was remembered as a “gentle giant” and eulogized for his joyful presence, the kind “everybody needed” in their life, one classmate said.
He started on the varsity team’s offensive line as a freshman in 2022 but was known just as much to his peers for his outgoing personality off the field. According to Noble’s obituary, he often stayed after school to help teachers decorate, make posters or set up a class. He served with the Student Government Association and was involved in multiple clubs at Franklin.
Noble’s death was part of a troubling trend among youth football players this summer.
In August, at least six other high school and middle school football players around the country died during practice or games, according to news reports. Four have been linked to possible heat-related deaths and two resulted from head injuries.
Maryland legislators have passed two laws in the last three years that address improving safety for young athletes. The Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act of 2021 and the 2022 Elijah Gorham Act each include provisions for emergency action plans.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.
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