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Arkansas high school football player finds venomous snake inside helmet
Maumelle High School student noticed unusual movement inside his headgear during practice
Author of the article:Anne Bacani
Published Aug 12, 2026 • 2 minute read
venomous snake
A high school football player in Arkansas got a terrifying surprise during practice last week after discovering a venomous cottonmouth hiding under the padding of his helmet. Photo by screengrab /KATV
A high school football player in Arkansas got a terrifying surprise during practice when he discovered a roughly two-foot-long venomous snake hiding inside his helmet.
The Maumelle High School student had already spent about an hour practicing before he noticed something moving inside his headgear. He alerted his defensive coach, who called athletic director Kirk Horton for help, according to the Daily Mail.
When staff inspected the helmet, they found a snake tucked underneath the padding. It was eventually identified as a cottonmouth, a venomous pit viper.
Horton told KARK that everyone was stunned.
“It really was just shock and disbelief,” Horton said. “I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my 10 years.”
Getting the snake out was another problem
The cottonmouth apparently had no interest in giving up its hiding spot, so police officers poured water into the helmet to force it out, according to The Guardian.
Maumelle Animal Services then arrived, collected the snake in a tote bag and released it near a river, per NBC News.
Animal Services Director Chris Davis said the player was lucky. A bite from a venomous snake could have turned an already bizarre practice into a medical emergency.
“When the officers got there and stuff, they examined the helmet, and at that time they could see that there was a snake in the helmet,” Davis said, via KATV. “They verified it was not a copperhead, but it possibly was a cottonmouth or a water snake.”
The player, thankfully, wasn’t done with practice. He grabbed another helmet and kept playing, per The Guardian.
Maumelle Animal Shelter
After the incident, the Maumelle Animal Shelter later offered some advice on social media. Photo by Maumelle Animal Shelter /Facebook
Second most venomous snake in Arkansas
Still, the incident prompted the head coach to remind players to check their equipment before putting it on.
Davis told The Guardian the snake may have recently eaten and was looking for a dark, enclosed place to digest its meal. Unfortunately for everyone involved, it found a football helmet sitting nearby.
The cottonmouth is the second most venomous snake in Arkansas and is known to favour dark, enclosed spaces, per NBC News.
The Maumelle Animal Shelter later offered some advice on Facebook that suddenly seems very reasonable: Check helmets, shoes, gloves and other outdoor gear before using them.
“Before putting on your helmet, shoes, gloves, or any outdoor gear, always give it a quick check first. It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter — or worse.”
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Maumelle High School student noticed unusual movement inside his headgear during practice
Author of the article:Anne Bacani
Published Aug 12, 2026 • 2 minute read
venomous snake
A high school football player in Arkansas got a terrifying surprise during practice last week after discovering a venomous cottonmouth hiding under the padding of his helmet. Photo by screengrab /KATV
A high school football player in Arkansas got a terrifying surprise during practice when he discovered a roughly two-foot-long venomous snake hiding inside his helmet.
The Maumelle High School student had already spent about an hour practicing before he noticed something moving inside his headgear. He alerted his defensive coach, who called athletic director Kirk Horton for help, according to the Daily Mail.
When staff inspected the helmet, they found a snake tucked underneath the padding. It was eventually identified as a cottonmouth, a venomous pit viper.
Horton told KARK that everyone was stunned.
“It really was just shock and disbelief,” Horton said. “I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my 10 years.”
Getting the snake out was another problem
The cottonmouth apparently had no interest in giving up its hiding spot, so police officers poured water into the helmet to force it out, according to The Guardian.
Maumelle Animal Services then arrived, collected the snake in a tote bag and released it near a river, per NBC News.
Animal Services Director Chris Davis said the player was lucky. A bite from a venomous snake could have turned an already bizarre practice into a medical emergency.
“When the officers got there and stuff, they examined the helmet, and at that time they could see that there was a snake in the helmet,” Davis said, via KATV. “They verified it was not a copperhead, but it possibly was a cottonmouth or a water snake.”
The player, thankfully, wasn’t done with practice. He grabbed another helmet and kept playing, per The Guardian.
Maumelle Animal Shelter
After the incident, the Maumelle Animal Shelter later offered some advice on social media. Photo by Maumelle Animal Shelter /Facebook
Second most venomous snake in Arkansas
Still, the incident prompted the head coach to remind players to check their equipment before putting it on.
Davis told The Guardian the snake may have recently eaten and was looking for a dark, enclosed place to digest its meal. Unfortunately for everyone involved, it found a football helmet sitting nearby.
The cottonmouth is the second most venomous snake in Arkansas and is known to favour dark, enclosed spaces, per NBC News.
The Maumelle Animal Shelter later offered some advice on Facebook that suddenly seems very reasonable: Check helmets, shoes, gloves and other outdoor gear before using them.
“Before putting on your helmet, shoes, gloves, or any outdoor gear, always give it a quick check first. It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a very scary encounter — or worse.”
Maumelle Animal Shelter
🚨 PSA: CHECK YOUR HELMETS! 🐍 Today, Maumelle Animal Services responded to an unusual situation at Maumelle High School. A student put on his helmet, only to discover that a venomous snake had taken...
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Venomous cottonmouth discovered in Maumelle High School player’s helmet during practice
A Maumelle High School football player had an unexpected encounter during practice Thursday after discovering a venomous snake hiding inside his helmet.Maumelle
katv.com
Arkansas high school football player finds deadly snake was in his helmet while he practiced for an hour
The 2-foot-long cottonmouth snake was still alive when it was found in the Maumelle High School player’s helmet.
nbcnews.com
High school football player in Arkansas practices with 2ft viper in helmet
An Arkansas high school player wore his helmet for nearly an hour before a two-foot cottonmouth was discovered beneath the padding during practice
Venomous snake found in football player's helmet after he practiced
A venomous snake was found inside the helmet of a football player in Arkansas in a terrifying incident.
Arkansas high school football player finds venomous snake inside helmet
An Arkansas high schooler practised for about an hour before discovering two-foot long cottonmouth hiding under padding of his headgear.
