St. Louis Park senior recovering after sustaining severed pancreas during football game

A St. Louis Park High School senior is recovering after a football injury left him with a severed pancreas during his last game of the season.

“I just always loved football. I love the Vikings. I love watching football,” Deon Sewharack said.

Sewharack got back on the gridiron for the last time of his high school career on Oct. 29.

“It was sad, but like it was also a super fun football career. I had fun while I was out there,” he said.

The senior suited up for the football game against Armstrong High School.

The game was supposed to be memorable, but it was easy to remember for the wrong reasons.

“I went to tackle him in a breakaway run and then I tackled him from behind,” he said. “His cleat went into my stomach and ruptured my pancreas.”

Sewharack explained he had no idea he was severely injured at the time. He was down on the turf for a few seconds and got back up and kept playing.

“After the game, I was feeling really sick and bad,” he said. “I thought I just got kicked in the stomach, but it was hurting all night.”

The morning after the game, he went to the emergency room and was told by doctors he had a severed pancreas. Sewharack went straight into surgery and spent days in the ICU. 

He was released from the hospital after a week with dozens of staples.

“I was scared. I didn’t know what to think,” he said.

Family members were watching from the stands when Deon was injured.

“I was in shock,” Kelly Sewharack, Deon’s mom, said. “He’s a kid who’s never really been injured for playing as long as he’s been playing and to walk away with this type of injury, It was pretty hard.”

But the community is making it easier.

Deon’s friends and their families made him a large heart cut-out filled with messages from the heart to wish him well. Friends have texted to check-in and have stopped by his home to see him.

Deon said even though the game is over, his teammates have his back for life.

“I’m glad I met them when I did because they’re the ones that believed in me through high school, always,” Deon said.

Deon has a long road to recovery, but doctors said he should be fully healed in eight to 12 weeks.

Friends of the family set up a fundraiser to help Deon’s family with medical expenses.