Florida men’s basketball player Keyontae Johnson remained in critical but stable Monday afternoon after collapsing during a game over the weekend, the school said in a statement.
The Gators announced that Johnson had been transported to a hospital in Gainesville, Florida after receiving his initial treatment in Tallahassee. As of Monday afternoon, he was “following simple commands and undergoing further tests,” according to the school.
Johnson’s grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, told USA TODAY Sports earlier Monday that his grandson was in a medically induced coma and that doctors hoped to bring him out of the coma later in the day.
“He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma,” DeJarnett told USA TODAY Sports. “They put him on medication to keep him sedated.”
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Johnson, the SEC’s preseason player of the year, was taken off the court on a stretcher Saturday after he collapsed as the Gators were coming out of a timeout in the first half. He was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and Florida initially described him as being in critical but stable condition.
The teams finished the game, which the Seminoles won 83-71.
It’s unclear if Johnson’s condition is connected to COVID-19, or if he had previously tested positive. Florida had to pause team activities last month because of positive COVID-19 tests, and coach Mike White said the team also had previous issues, but details were not released because of privacy laws.
DeJarnett, his grandfather, told USA TODAY Sports he did not know whether Johnson ever suffered from the virus.
“I know that there was some of the times when some of the team was quarantined, yes. I don’t know if he was one of them or not,” DeJarnett said.
Contributing: The Gainesville Sun
