Injured Michigan High School Player Returns To Field In Wheelchair After Viral Body Slam

The Michigan high school football player who was the victim of a horrific body slam that left him with a fractured spine visited his teammates before their game on Friday.

Colton Mims, 15, who plays for Lakeshore High School, returned to the field in a wheelchair as he continues to deal with what his mother, Courtney, described as two "slight fractures" to his spine.

Mims was on hand to see his teammates take on the St. Joseph Bears, and his mom shared the moment on Facebook.

"The first time taking the field since!!!!" Courtney Mims wrote. "That’s my BIG BABY! He’s an angel. His teammates are THE BEST EXAMPLE OF YOUNG MEN I’ve seen in a long time." 

On top of that, Mims also shared that the mothers of St. Joseph Bears players organized a moment to pray over Colton. She shared that heartwarming scene on Facebook as well.

"Couldn’t be more blessed with my SJ moms for letting me know they organized this," Mims wrote.

The video of Colton Mims' injury has gone viral. In it, Mims was playing defense when he was blocked by a much larger player from Kalamazoo Central and wound up on the ground under him.

However, the Kalamazoo player got back up and bodyslammed him, and that's where the injury appears to have occurred.

Colton Mims was injured in a shocking moment caught on camera during a recent high school football game in Michigan. (Credit: Facebook/Courtney Mims)

In the aftermath of the incident and the public outcry over the video, the Michigan High School Athletic Association released a statement.

"Our staff has been speaking with both schools since Friday. Kalamazoo Central has taken this matter very seriously and they have taken strong and decisive action," the MHSAA statement reads. "Due to student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the specific accountability actions, but they have exceeded what MHSAA regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior.

"Our schools can provide additional details as they decide to do so, since they are handling things internally."