Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleRiley HoffmanThursday 13 August 2026 16:07 BSTTeen finds venomous snake in football helmetA high school football player at Maumelle High School in Arkansas narrowly avoided injury after discovering a two-foot-long venomous cottonmouth snake concealed inside his helmet after warm-ups.The pit viper refused to leave the headgear on its own and was eventually removed by animal control officers who submerged the helmet in water and extracted the reptile using tongs.Animal services director Chris Davis noted that the student had worn the helmet for nearly an hour and was remarkably lucky not to have been bitten by the deadly snake.Officials believe the snake was likely seeking a dark place to digest a recent meal when it slithered into the helmet while the equipment was resting on the ground.The cottonmouth was safely released into a nearby wooded area, prompting the team's head coach to instruct all players to thoroughly inspect their athletic gear before future practices.In fullHigh School football player finds two-foot venomous snake burrowed in helmet during practiceMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in