New Mexico rallies support for hospitalized linebacker

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For 22 seconds, none of the 104 players thought about football.

The high school students’ thoughts and prayers were elsewhere — with Abraham Romero in the intensive care unit at El Paso Children’s Hospital as a solemn stillness crept over the hundreds of fans at the Field of Dreams watching Organ Mountain’s game against Mayfield High.

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The only sound came from the flapping of a white flag with "#ABESTRONG" and the number 22, his jersey number, inscribed underneath an Organ Mountain High School logo.

The Organ Mountain and Mayfield players kneeled at midfield after it was announced that the first cross-city rivalry game of the season would be dedicated to Romero, the Organ Mountain senior linebacker who has remained in a medically induced coma since suddenly collapsing between plays during the team’s game against Deming. They remained still during the silence – 22 seconds long for No. 22.

People in Las Cruces, New Mexico, rally support for senior football player Abraham Romero

Romero wasn’t in attendance to watch the Knights 28-0 win over the Trojans (their first win over Mayfield since 2017), but his presence was undeniable, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

Fans wore bright green ribbons with the number "22" on their lapels. Players wore helmet decals with the initials "A.R." The home stands were covered in signs offering support for the 17-year-old: "STRONG FOR 22;" "FIGHT FOR ABE;" "LET’S FIGHT ON #22."

Booster club parents patrolled the stands holding collection jars with Romero’s photo while high school students collected for the