Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera dies after collapsing on field; Connecticut school releases Twitter statement mourning loss

High school student Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera's death has hit the heartstrings of the public. The 15-year-old Windsor High School student reportedly lost consciousness on Tuesday during football practice before being given CPR by police and emergency medical technicians, according to superintendent Terrence Hill.

Hill provided a letter from Windsor Public Schools to discuss the situation to the area's families.

"Dear WPS families, it is with an extremely heavy heart that I am sending this communication to our WPS community. This afternoon, during football practice, one of our students, Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera, lossed (sic) consciousness. He was not engaged in any football drills or tackling.

"EMTs and Windsor PD arrived on the scene to provide CPR. He was eventually transported to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, along with his parents. Sadly, the medical professionals were unable to revive him." H/t Hartford Courant

Windsor Mayor Donald Trinks said that Rivera was engaged in a low or no-contact drill before collapsing. The cause of death has not been released.

On Tuesday night, Rivera's teammates held a vigil in his honor.

Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera: What are some of the tributes that have been sent out?

When someone suddenly dies, it can cause a terrible state of flux, but the situation significantly increases when a child is involved. The Windsor football program posted a tribute post with pictures of Rivera and included the following caption:

"Gone from our sight but never from our hearts we mourn the passing of Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera, an amazing son, brother, athlete, student and friend. #65 Forever in our hearts. We will miss you Big Texas, Love you. This season is dedicated to you and Coach Knight #LL65 #Family"

While speaking to CT Insider, Chastity Hernandez, Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera's mother, spoke about her son:

"He was the most kind-hearted boy. He was a gentle giant. ... He will be greatly missed. But will always be remembered with that big smile on his face."

Rivera was the youngest of eight children and was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2007. He moved to Connecticut in 2010 and returned to Texas in 2019. However, Rivera wound up moving back to Connecticut in June to focus on school and football.