HOXIE, Ark. — A high school football game turned into a night of unity and quick action in Hoxie after referee Travis Woodruff suffered a heart attack while officiating on Oct. 16. The veteran referee, well-known in the community, was on the field spotting the ball at the 40-yard line when he realized something was wrong.
“Once they kicked the extra point, it hit me, and I knew,” Woodruff recalled. “I grabbed the football, and after I went to go and spot it, the ball fell out of my hands.”
Hoxie Head Coach Tom Sears immediately noticed something wasn’t right. “I went down and asked him, ‘Travis, are you okay?’ He said, ‘No, Coach, something isn’t right. I have a pain in my chest,’” Sears said.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, members of the Hoxie community sprang into action. Coach Sears described how several spectators, including nurses and nurse practitioners, jumped over the fence to provide immediate assistance. “They were out there on him, checking his vitals before the ambulance even arrived,” Sears said.
Woodruff was rushed to the hospital, where he said he drifted in and out of consciousness. Doctors performed CPR and used a defibrillator to restore his heart rhythm.
“It’s something I didn’t want to happen,” the referee said tearfully. “They had to go get my phone to call my daughter, and I didn’t want that to be the last thing she heard, that I did not make it.”
Two weeks later, Woodruff returned to the football field, reuniting with Coach Sears and others who had helped save his life. “This gentleman here helped me out big time, not just him, but the Hoxie community. This is family,” Woodruff said. “I will never forget Hoxie for the rest of my life.”
Standing on the 40-yard line, the spot where his life nearly ended, Woodruff reflected on the moment. “The 40 will always mean something to me because it could have ended right there. I just wanted to go over there because I’ll be back on the 40-yard line next year,” he said.
For now, Woodruff has decided to step away from officiating but sees a greater purpose in his experience. He hopes to encourage more men to visit their doctors for regular checkups. “You just never know,” he emphasized.
Coach Sears expressed gratitude for the quick-thinking individuals who helped save Woodruff’s life, saying, “We’re just happy he’s here. That people responded to the training they had and were able to help him.”
Woodruff says he is improving with each day and is focused on his recovery. Though he won’t be officiating for a while, the Hoxie community has made one thing clear: he will always have support on and off the field.