Brother Of Wesleyan Christian School Football Player Speaks Out

It was a hit during a game that now changes everything for this family, but they're standing strong in their faith.

Ben Hamm,16, was a junior at Wesleyan Christian School in Bartlesville.

“This is his Bible,” his brother Jacob Hamm said. “It’s kind of used and torn.”

And for the love of a game he adored, Ben Hamm kept playing no matter how beat up or torn he was.

“He’d had a history of concussions, and he’d had a brain bleed before, and it kept him out his sophomore year until he was cleared medically to play,” Jacob Hamm said.

9/21/2015 Related Story: Wesleyan Christian Community Overcoming Tragedy Through Faith

It was Sept. 11, and now in his junior year, Ben had just scored a touchdown. It was the first of the game for his team, but the last for Ben.

“I remember the play. It was kickoff return after he’d scored their only touchdown,” Jacob Hamm said. “He found the ball carrier around the 30 yard line and just smacked right into him. After that the other guy popped right back up, but he was really slow to stand back up. When he did, you could see he knew he was in trouble.”

Ben staggered off the field, and his legs shook.

“They waved my dad down there,” Jacob Hamm said. “He said, 'Ben, look at me. Do you know who I am?’ He looked at my dad and said, ‘Yeah, Dad. I know who you are.’”

Ben soon started to fade.

“He just started seizing up on the bench, and we saw him fall from the stands,” Jacob Hamm said.

Ben was put in a medically induced coma for more than a week as doctors monitored his brain pressure. He held on until Sept. 19; a battle he just couldn't win.

“He loved the game,” Jacob Hamm said. “He was just the best."

Ben's parents have announced a service for Ben Hamm will be Saturday, September 26 at 10 a.m. at the Wesleyan Christian School gym in Bartlesville.

Donations are being accepted at Lighthouse Fitness, 3333 West Hefner Road in Oklahoma City. Click here to make a donation online.

Wesleyan Christian School also has set up a fund to honor Ben Hamm.  Donations can be sent to:

Ben Hamm Memorial Fund

c/o Arvest Bank

4225 SE Adams Road

Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74006