Player Practices With Snake in Helmet

An Arkansas high school football player learned the hard way that “check your equipment” is more than just coach-speak.

The Maumelle High player practiced for about an hour with a two-foot cottonmouth snake hiding under the padding of his helmet. Yes, a cottonmouth. The venomous kind. Not exactly the sort of extra protection you want on game day.

He finally told coaches his helmet felt weird—because apparently “something is moving around on my head” eventually becomes difficult to ignore. They checked it out, found the snake, and somehow nobody got bitten.

Animal control relocated the snake to a wooded area, presumably after informing it that football season is not its sport. So: helmets, shoes, gloves—give ’em a quick look before putting them on. He might want to check his protective cup while he’s at it.