A high school football player in Arkansas got the shock of his life when the strange movement he felt inside his helmet turned out to be a venomous snake hiding beneath the padding.
The bizarre incident happened during football practice at Maumelle High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, according to local station KARK.
The student athlete reportedly noticed that something felt unusual inside his helmet and eventually brought it over to one of the team’s defensive coaches.
When coaches inspected the helmet, they discovered a snake roughly 2 feet long tucked underneath the padding.
Even more alarming, the player had reportedly been wearing the helmet with the snake inside for nearly an hour.
Coaches managed to contain the reptile using a tote bag while they waited for Maumelle Animal Services to arrive.
Maumelle Animal Services director Chris Davis said the player was extremely lucky the snake never bit him.
One coach, Horton, said the discovery left everyone stunned.
“It really was just shock and disbelief,” he told KARK.
He even joked that after 10 years on the job, he had a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a venomous snake inside a player’s football helmet.
The team now plans to make more thorough helmet checks before players put them on.
Officials initially believed the snake was a copperhead, but animal control later determined that it was actually a cottonmouth, another venomous species.
The snake was safely removed from the helmet and later released in a nearby wooded area.
The player was given a different helmet and, remarkably, was able to continue practicing.
Maumelle Animal Shelter later addressed the scary encounter on Facebook.
“Today, Maumelle Animal Services responded to an unusual situation at Maumelle High School. A student put on his helmet, only to discover that a venomous snake had taken up residence inside!” the shelter wrote.
Officials said the incident should serve as a warning that snakes and other animals can crawl into dark, enclosed spaces, including helmets, shoes, bags and boxes, especially when those items are left outside or untouched for a period of time.
“Before putting on your helmet, shoes, gloves, or any outdoor gear, always give it a quick check first,” the shelter warned.
“It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter—or worse.”
For one Arkansas football player, that quick check will probably never be forgotten again.