A college quarterback is fighting to recover after suffering a devastating brain injury during a football game that left him needing emergency surgery and a medically induced coma.
Mayville State University quarterback Matt Donovan, 23, was seriously injured Saturday, Sept. 19, during the Comets’ game against Simpson University in North Dakota.
The injury happened in the third quarter after Donovan took a hit while carrying the ball.
According to his family, Donovan was involved in a head-to-head collision and collapsed after the impact.
Doctors quickly discovered that he had suffered a brain bleed, prompting emergency crews to airlift him to Fargo for specialized treatment.
Once Donovan arrived at the hospital, doctors performed a craniotomy that lasted more than two hours.
Mayville State said surgeons removed portions of his skull to relieve dangerously high pressure on his brain.
The university said Donovan’s intracranial pressure was many times higher than normal when he arrived.
After surgery, he was transferred to the intensive care unit and placed in a medically induced coma.
There have since been some encouraging signs.
The school said Donovan’s eyes reacted normally to light the morning after surgery, something his neurosurgeon reportedly described as a positive development.
By Monday, his family said the pressure inside his skull remained low and stable.
Donovan was still heavily sedated but had been taken off paralytic medication, according to a family update shared by Valley News Live.
Head coach Rocky Larson said the play that caused the injury did not initially appear unusually violent.
“It was a clean hit, a very normal hit for a football game,” Larson told Valley News Live.
Larson said Donovan did not immediately show the full severity of the injury.
Instead, concerning symptoms began appearing a few minutes later.
The longtime coach said he initially believed Donovan might have suffered a concussion before it became clear that something far more serious had happened.
Donovan’s teammate Kelby Azure said the incident left players shaken.
“With an injury like that, it can go from 0 to 100 real quick,” Azure said.
Players, coaches and fans have since rallied around Donovan and his family.
His sister, Ashley Klar, launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical bills, lodging and food while the family remains near the hospital.
The fundraiser has drawn hundreds of donations as support pours in from around the football community.
Simpson University, whose team was playing Mayville State when Donovan was injured, also donated and shared a message of support for the quarterback and his family.
The game itself ended in a dramatic 42-41 Mayville State victory, but the result was quickly overshadowed by concern for Donovan.
The Mayville community has also stepped in.
At a university volleyball game Monday, proceeds from a 50-50 raffle were donated to Donovan’s family.
The raffle raised $3,025, and the winner reportedly declined to keep their half, allowing the entire amount to go toward Donovan’s recovery.
For now, Donovan remains under intensive medical care as doctors monitor his brain pressure and neurological condition.
His family has stressed that his recovery remains uncertain and that they are taking things one moment at a time.
But the latest updates have given teammates and supporters reason to remain hopeful.
“Prayers are working,” Larson said while relaying the family’s message. “He’s continuing to improv
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