Venomous Snake Found Inside High School Student’s Football Helmet
A high school football player in Arkansas unknowingly practiced for nearly an hour with a venomous snake inside his helmet. The Maumelle High student felt unusual movement inside his headgear following warmups last week and brought his helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. A slithering 2-foot cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding. The snake was difficult to reach because it had slipped underneath the helmet’s padding.
Shock and Disbelief: A 2-Foot Long Cottonmouth
The player noticed unusual movement inside his helmet and took the problem to his defensive coach. The coach then alerted athletic director Kirk Horton, who helped deal with the situation.
It really was just shock and disbelief. I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my ten years. — Kirk Horton, Athletic Director
How Animal Services Removed the Snake in Football Helmet
Staff placed the helmet inside a tote bag while they waited for Maumelle Animal Services. Director Chris Davis said, When the officers got there and stuff, they examined the helmet, and at that time they could see that there was a snake in the helmet.
The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that animal control officers had to submerge the helmet in water and forced the snake out, grabbing it with tongs.
One of the officers noticed that it, due to it being big and fat, may have recently ate a couple of days before. It probably was trying to find a dark spot to digest the food, and when it was coming across, it saw a helmet lying on the ground. — Chris Davis, Maumelle Animal Services Director
It was removed from the helmet and taken to a forested area away from the school.
The Cottonmouth: Second Most Venomous Snake in Arkansas
Davis said the player wore the helmet for nearly an hour and was fortunate he wasn’t bitten. He also warned about the danger of the species:
The cottonmouth, in my opinion, is probably the second most venomous snake here in Arkansas. I would say the rattlesnake is probably the number one. — Chris Davis
Davis said the incident was unlike anything he had dealt with during his work with animals.
I’ve removed a snake out of a car vent, in the engine, purses, backpacks. In a helmet? Never. It was very unreal. You had to kind of be there and take pictures to say this was real. — Chris Davis
Safety Reminders for Outdoor Gear
The player received a new helmet and continued practicing. The incident has now led the team to remind players to check their equipment before wearing it.
Snakes and other critters can find their way into dark, enclosed spaces — especially helmets, shoes, bags, boxes, and other items that are left outside or sitting undisturbed. It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter — or worse. — Maumelle Animal Services Officials
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today’s digital landscape.
