Snake Found in High School Football Player's Helmet During Practice

A Maumelle High School football player in Arkansas made a startling discovery during practice when he found a 2-foot-long venomous cottonmouth snake had crawled inside his helmet. The student felt unusual movement inside his headgear after warmups last week and brought it to an assistant coach for inspection.

Snake Found in High School Football Player's Helmet During Practice

A slithering cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding in the helmet. The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag. Animal services technicians arrived shortly after, identified the snake as a deadly cottonmouth, and took it to a wooded area far from the school.

Cottonmouths are the second-most venomous snakes found in Arkansas. Animal services director Chris Davis said the player wore the helmet for nearly an hour and was fortunate he wasn't bitten. "It was unreal," Davis said. "You had to kind of be there and take pictures to say this was real."

The player grabbed a different helmet and continued practice. However, the incident caused the head coach to reiterate to his team that players should examine their equipment carefully before using it, checking for insects — or maybe something larger and more dangerous.

The Maumelle Animal Shelter advised in a Facebook post that everyone involved was okay, stating "snakes and other critters can find their way into dark, enclosed spaces—especially helmets, shoes, bags, boxes, and other items that are left outside or sitting undisturbed."

"Before putting on your helmet, shoes, gloves, or any outdoor gear, always give it a quick check first," the animal shelter said. "It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter—or worse."