Former high school football player pleads guilty in helmet attack after game
A former Bell High School football player accused of hitting a Fernandina Beach High School player in the head with a helmet during a game last year has pleaded guilty. Daniel Byers pleaded guilty Thursday in connection to the incident that happened during a football game between Fernandina Beach High School and Bell High School. READ: Arrest made in high school football game fight, Fernandina Beach police chief says Byers was sentenced to 30 days in jail, which will be served on weekends in Nassau County.
He was also sentenced to 12 months of probation. Fernandina Beach police previously said Byers pushed a 15-year-old Fernandina Beach player, removed his helmet, and struck him in the head with it during an altercation after the November 2025 game. The incident was captured on video and quickly spread online.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Police later had an arrest warrant for Byers, who was arrested in Gilchrist County. At the time, Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeffrey Tambasco told Action News Jax that the case escalated beyond a typical on-field fight because a helmet was allegedly used as a weapon. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks ] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter ] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.