Mother files lawsuit after 13-year-old son drowns on team football trip

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado mother has filed a lawsuit against a youth football organization and one of its coaches.

At 13 years old, Darryl Blackmon drowned in a hotel pool while on a trip with his team. His mother, Marquita Mays, claims the organization failed to protect her son and is now demanding accountability.

For Mays, one of the last images that replays in her mind is her son lying in a hospital bed, on a ventilator and in a coma. Darryl spent three days in a Phoenix hospital and died on May 31, 2022.

Now in 2024, every day is a constant reminder that her youngest son is gone. Standing tall at 5 feet 11 inches, the 13-year-old had NFL dreams and hoped to hone his talent by joining a youth football club. It was Darryl’s first year playing with the 5280 Jr. Buffs football team, and it’s now something that Mays deeply regrets.

“I made a mistake by even thinking that I could be a part of something that was supposed to be great and putting my precious joy somewhere that wasn’t safe for him,” Mays cried.

Teen drowned after team’s football championship

In May of 2022, the team traveled to Arizona for a tournament game and celebrated their championship win at the hotel pool. Mays said she went across the street to grab food for the party and returned in 10 minutes to find her son receiving CPR.

James Anderson, Mays’ attorney, weighed in.

“There was a period of 10 minutes, and Marquita’s son lost his life,” Anderson said. “That’s inexcusable. We feel that there was negligent supervision, negligent training of the coaches and assistant coaches involved in this situation. They could have taken much stronger steps to protect Marquita’s son.”

Mays is now suing the team for negligent conduct and training. Darryl could not swim, and an autopsy report has confirmed the teen drowned.

Mays told FOX31 her son was found fully clothed in about 9 feet of water. The lawsuit states he had been underwater for 3-7 minutes. It also states the other children were horseplaying in and around the pool — shoving and dunking each other — while coaches were supervising.

The complaint alleges the coaching staff held a meeting after Darryl’s death, instructing parents to “keep their story straight.”

“I’m the only one hurting,” Mays said. “Me, my family, my children. It’s like he never even existed.”

Claims of false insurance information after teen’s drowning

Mays is also suing one of the coaches on claims of fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The coach is accused of knowingly providing Mays with false insurance information on behalf of the team.

“Upon further investigation, we were told that that specific certificate, because they’re individually and uniquely numbered, was not the certificate for the Jr. Buffs organization,” Anderson said. “There was evidence that the certificate had been physically altered.”

Anderson said since the discovery was made about the alleged altered insurance certificate, the coach has not been responsive to the legal team, and it’s only added more anguish for Mays.

“Your babies’ lives are in danger,” Mays cried. “When it’s not right and we always think it’s not us, because we don’t want it to be, but you never know.”

FOX31 has not named the coach listed in the lawsuit because we are waiting for him to provide attorney information. The football organization did not respond to our request for comment via email.

Meanwhile, Mays continues to turn her pain into purpose. She led a swim safety billboard campaign in 2022 and is currently working on a foundation in her son’s name.