Football communities come together to help injured Santiago player

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A week ago Corona Santiago senior Jordan Walker was injured while making a routine tackle in a quarterfinal playoff loss to Upland. He sustained severe neck and spinal cord trauma and has remained in the hospital in critical condition.

The football community came together in honor of the fallen player Friday night. That Upland team was on the field again, this time taking on Corona Centennial. The Santiago team, including coach Jeff Steinberg, were in attendance, as were several other students and parents and followers of the Sharks program.

After the Huskies and Highlanders went through their warmups, they retreated to the locker room for a few minutes then came back and gathered at midfield, along with the Santiago team.

Steinberg addressed the crowd, then the teams took a knee for a prayer and a momentum of silence. It was a touching moment,

Members of the Upland booster club took up a collection that will go to the player’s family for medical expenses. They had almost $2,000 before the game even started. They final tally was $5,000.

Upland coach Tim Salter was not surprised.

“I know this community and it comes together for a good cause so I’m not surprised. “There are a lot of people out there thinking that could have been their kid.”

Donations can also be made in the players’ name through the websight Be Perfect Foundation.com. All the proceeds will go toward the player.

Upland and Corona Centennial players gathered, at midfield prior to their CIF semifinal game Friday night November 29, 2013, along with players from Corona Santiago at Upland High School, for Corona Santiago player Jordan Walker who suffered a serious spinal cord injury against Upland last week, all the players wore #55, Walker's number, on their helmets    (Will Lester/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

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