Esko High School football player dies after collapsing on field

Police say the 15-year-old had a serious medical condition.

October 13, 2019 at 12:10AM
Jackson Pfister (Prep Baseball Report photo)
Jackson Pfister (Prep Baseball Report photo) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A 15-year-old Esko High School football player died Friday after collapsing on the field during a game.

Jackson Pfister collapsed just after 9 p.m. during a varsity game at Veterans Field in Aitkin, Minn. He was taken by ambulance to Riverwood Healthcare Center with what police described as a serious medical condition.

The boy, who would have turned 16 next week, died shortly afterward.

Jackson was the son of Brooke and Matthew Pfister of Esko. His mother's Facebook page indicates that Jackson had a congenital heart defect and had undergone open-heart surgery.

about the writer

about the writer

Katy Read

Reporter

Katy Read writes for the Minnesota Star Tribune's Inspired section. She previously covered Carver County and western Hennepin County as well as aging, workplace issues and other topics since she began at the paper in 2011.

See More

More from Duluth

card image

The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.