MAUMELLE, Ark. — Some high school and college football teams have snake logos on their helmets, signifying their mascots. An Arkansas high school player had a snake -- a venomous one, at that -- inside his helmet.
A Maumelle High School made the discovery during Thursday’s practice, KARK reported. A cottonmouth had nestled inside the helmet’s padding, according to the television station.
The team was split into position groups after warmups when the player noticed unusual movement inside his helmet, KATV reported. He brought it to a defensive coach, who alerted Athletic Director Kirk Horton.
“When the officers got there and stuff, they examined the helmet, and at that time they could see that there was a snake in the helmet,” Maumelle Animal Services Director Chris Davis told the television station. “They verified it was not a copperhead, but it possibly was a cottonmouth or a water snake.”
Animal Services later identified the snake as a cottonmouth.
The snake, which measured approximately 2 feet in length, was removed from the player’s helmet and relocated to a forest away from the school, KARK reported.
Davis said the player had been wearing the helmet for almost an hour and was fortunate he was not bitten.
“It really was just shock and disbelief,” Horton told the television station. “I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my 10 years.”
Davis agreed.
“I’ve removed a snake out of a car vent, in the engine, purses, backpacks,” he told KATV. “In a helmet? Never.”