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Football player who collapsed during drills remains in critical condition

California high school football player Xavier Mendoza remains in critical condition after collapsing on the field during Monday morning football conditioning drills. He is currently in a medically induced coma, his mother told the San Gabrial Valley Tribune.

While early reports indicated a heart attack, doctors have not said what caused him to collapse, his mother added.

“We know there are a lot of people out there wanting to know what’s going on, and we appreciate all the prayers — from the bottom of my heart I do,” she said. “But right now my focus has been on Xavier, the doctors, the nurses and my family. But again, thank everyone for all the prayers. It means a lot to all of us.”

Mendoza is a 6-foot-2, 320-pound junior at Damien High School, an all-boys Catholic school in La Verna, Calif. He recently transferred from Don Bosco Technical Institute (Bosco Tech), where he played football for two years.

Mendoza was going through cardio drills with his new team around 6 a.m. when he collapsed, the Damien High athletic director told the paper. Coaches and a parent administered CPR as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

“The coaches at that crucial moment saved his life,” his mother said. “If they didn’t respond as quickly as they did I’m not sure what would have happened, I really believe that. The fast response that they performed until the paramedics arrived was crucial. That’s what I was told and I’m so grateful to all of them.”

His mother reports that he had no known medical conditions.

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Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact her at delliot@yahoo-inc.com or find her on Twitter and Facebook.