Northern California high school football player — 'one you'd build your team around' — dies from swimming accident

Acalanes of Lafayette community mourns the loss of junior Amin Noroozi, who was pronounced deceased Thursday from complications to spinal injury suffered at the beach

Amin Noroozi (right), a standout junior offensive and defensive line for Acalanes-Lafayette (Calif.), perished on Thursday from complications to a spinal injury suffered at Stinson Beach in Northern California on Sunday. / Photo courtesy of Acalanes High School

A Northern California high school football player — one his former coach you would want to build a program around — had died from an ocean swimming accident. 

Amin Noroozi, a spirited and talented junior lineman for 2023 state champion Acalanes of Lafayette, suffered a spinal injury at Stinson Beach on Sunday and after being airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he was pronounced deceased on Thursday afternoon. 

He was 17. 

“Heartbreaking,” said his former coach Floyd Burnsed by phone on Friday afternoon. “Unbelievable. He was an undersized kid with a huge heart, a great will and personality. You can’t imagine something like this can happen by simply diving into a wave.” 

According to reports, first old by KTVU Fox, Amin joined other friends at the beach and took turns diving into the ocean. Evidently he struck something hard in the ocean and lost feeling in his arms and legs. 

The Lafayette and Lamorinda community immediately rallied around Amin and the Noroozi family — a gofund page was set up to defray hospital costs and immediately raised $165,000 — but on Thursday afternoon Acalanes principal Eric Shawn via an email informed its students and parents that Amin was gone. 

“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of our student, Amin Noroozi, today at approximately 3:30 p.m.,” the note read. “This sudden loss is a shock to us all, especially given our hopes that things were moving in a different direction.” 

Burnsed said that 5-foot-10, 200-pound Noroozi had improved immensely after being called up to varsity as a sophomore during the team’s state-title run. 

“We went to a football camp last summer in Lake Tahoe and in every one-on-one drill he just dominated everyone,” Burnsed said. “He was going to have a big senior season but then he got hurt. He came back from that and had an appendicitis. He only played in three games, but he always showed up. Was a great team guy. A big smile. If every kid on your team was like Amin you’d have a great, great team. His spirit for the team was unreal. His family was super supportive and upbeat. 

“Just can’t believe he’s gone.”