High school football has more fatalities than any other level of gridiron

Bon Jovi, playing with his band in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, October 1, expressed his support for the family of Evan Murray, the 17-year old Warren Hills Regional High School player who died after a game on Friday, September 25.

New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi is among the latest to offer condolences, and devised a unique tribute.

In the video, titled “In Memory of Evan Murray”, Bon Jovi explains that he’s a father of sons who also play football, and that his heart goes out to the Murray family.

The New Jersey rocker placed a sticker with 17-year-old Evan Murray’s number 18 on his guitar during a concert Thursday in the United Arab Emirates and posted a tribute to him online.

His teammates wore blue shirts and black ties to the funeral.

In the last 20 years, 77 students have died as a direct result of injuries sustained during high-school football games, an average of four per year.

Massive internal bleeding due to a laceration of the spleen caused Murray’s death, according to Morris County Medical Examiner Dr. Ronald Suarez.

The school’s homecoming celebration was planned for this weekend but will be rescheduled.

“To all the team, I wish you the best this season”, he said.