Burleson football player injured in freak accident remains in ICU

A Burleson teenager who was hurt in a freak accident after his high school football game is seeing outpouring support from friends and family.

Jonathan Lopez remains in ICU at John Peter Smith Hospital following a severe head injury last week.

The 16-year-old was injured when he was leaning against the back of a truck after a game Friday night when the driver moved it. John fell and hit his head on the tailgate and then the ground.

Jonathan’s father, Jose, says his family remains optimistic. And one powerful reason for that is how they say an entire community has come together to uplift them.

"The whole thing with the injury is that he needs a lot of rest, and he needs minimal exposure to a lot of activity,” he explained.

Jose says his son’s skull was fractured during the accident, but the bleeding in his brain and the swelling have stopped.

Despite not being able to visit Jonathan, his friends and teammates have packed the hospital’s reception area in support of their classmate.

"He asked me to check his phone. I read some of the text messages that some of his friends were sending him, saying ‘Hey, I'm out here. I'm here for you,’” Jose recalled. “It brought a smile to his face when I read some of that to him."

Jose says he's overwhelmed and grateful for the support and prayers on social media and in person for Jonathan.

"People react to it and reach out. People that don't know you and want to know and want to send prayers and prayers during these times really help us get through this situation and have helped a lot,” he explained.

Jose says his son still has a long road to recovery and is taking it one day at a time.

Jonathan’s football coach says his team has a few surprises in store for him when he gets out.