Key takeaways:
- A Maumelle High School football player found a 2-foot cottonmouth behind the padding of his helmet after warmups Thursday.
- Animal services officials said the player had worn the helmet for nearly an hour and was fortunate he was not bitten.
- The Maumelle Animal Shelter urged people to check helmets, shoes, gloves and other outdoor gear before use.
An Arkansas high school football player practiced for nearly an hour last week before discovering a 2-foot venomous snake hidden inside the helmet he had been wearing.
The Maumelle High School student noticed unusual movement in his headgear after warmups Thursday and brought the helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. Behind the padding, staff found a slithering cottonmouth, a pit viper and one of the most venomous snakes found in Arkansas.
Kirk Horton, Maumelle High School’s athletic director, told NBC affiliate KARK in Little Rock that the athletic staff was stunned when the player brought in the helmet.
“It really was just shock and disbelief,” Horton said. “I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my ten years.”
Animal Services Director Chris Davis told NBC News that officers were first told the snake might be a copperhead. After they arrived, they determined it was a cottonmouth. CBS News reported that police officers had to pour water into the helmet to force the snake out and into a bag because it was reluctant to leave.
Maumelle Animal Services retrieved the snake. NBC News reported it was placed in a tote bag and relocated to a nearby river, while CBS News reported animal services technicians took it to a wooded area far from the school.
Davis said the player had worn the helmet for nearly an hour and was fortunate not to have been bitten.
“It was unreal,” Davis told CBS News. “You had to kind of be there and take pictures to say this was real.”
The player was not injured. According to CBS News, he grabbed another helmet and continued practicing. The incident prompted the team’s head coach to remind players to inspect their equipment before using it, including for insects or larger hazards.
The Maumelle Animal Shelter also warned the public in a Facebook post that snakes and other animals can get into dark, enclosed spaces, especially items left outside or sitting undisturbed.
“Before putting on your helmet, shoes, gloves, or any outdoor gear, always give it a quick check first,” the shelter wrote. “It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter—or worse.”
Cottonmouths tend to seek dark, enclosed spaces and are the second-most venomous snakes in Arkansas, according to the reports.
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