FOOTBALL PLAYER CONTINUES TO RECOVER AFTER AN ON-FIELD NEAR- DEATH EXPERIENCE. REIGN TABANDERA- MARTINEZ IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO THE BIG ISLAND FROM OAHU ON THURSDAY... AFTER EMERGENCY SURGERY. SAM SPANGLER HAS DETAILS ON WHAT'S BEING DONE TO PROTECT OTHER PLAYERS. ACCORDING TO THE HHSAA...ATHLETIC TRAINERS, COACHES, AND REFEREES ARE ALL TRAINED TO FIND CONCUSSION SIGNS...BUT NONE OF THAT W ENOUGH TO STOP REIGN FROM THE HEAD INJURY THAT ALMOST TOOK HIS LIFE. REIGN SAID HIS TOUGHNESS KEPT HIM FROM TELLING TRAINERS AND COACHES THAT HE WAS HAVING HEADACHES AND THROWING UP DURING KEALAKEHE'S AUGUST 6TH GAME AGAINST KAPOLEI....BEFORE HIS BRAIN STARTED TO BLEED AND SWELL. TIFFANY MARTINEZ, REIGN'S MOM: "I SAY THAT TOUGHNESS IS WHAT ALMOST KILLED HIM" CHRISTOPHER CHUN, HAWAII HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: "I DON'T KNOW ANY STATE THAT DOES THIS, BUT THE NFHS DOES DO CONCUSSION COURSES FOR STUDENT ATHLETES. MAYBE IF THEY SAW THAT THEY COULD RECOGNIZE THEMSELVES," LAST WEEK IN THEIR GAME AGAINST HILO REIGN'S KEALAKEHE TEAMMATES CARRIED HIS NUMBER 1 JERSEY...EVEN HILO PLAYERS SENDING MESSAGES TO REIGN AS HE RECOVERED FROM HAVING PART OF HIS SKULL REMOVED. COACH WYATT NAHALE WANTS THIS TO BE A LESSON. WYATT NAHALE, KEALAKEHE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: "I WANT TO BE A STRONG ADVOCATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO TAKE THE HEAD OUT OF TACKLING AND CONTACT," A NEUROLOGIST SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A BRAIN INJURY LIKE: -HEADACHE -MOTOR PROBLEMS -CONFUSION -LOSS OF BALANCE -SENSORY CHANGES -AND SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT BECAUSE OF HOW DEVASTATING MULTIPLE BRAIN INJURIES CAN BE. DR. KORE L PROFESSOR DEPT. OF MEDICINE (NEUROLOGY): "SECOND IMPACT SYNDROME IS WHAT WE CALL WHEN, A SECOND CONCUSSION IS SUSTAINED BEFORE THERE'S COMPLETE RECOVERY FROM A PREVIOUS CONCUSSION. THAT CAN LEAD TO BRAIN SWELLING. THIS REPEAT CONCUSSION CAN CAUSE CONGESTION OF BLOOD VESSELS, INCREASED PRESSURE IN THE BRAIN, WHICH SOMETIMES COULD BE LIFE-THREATENING." REIGN'S PARENTS TIFFANY AND KIKO WILL HAVE TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME OFF OF WORK AS REIGN RECOVERS...BUT CHUN SAYS THE H-H- S-A-A'S CATASTROPHIC INJURY INSURANCE PLAN SHOULD HELP. CHRIS CHUN, HHSAA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: "I CAUGHT THIS STORY FROM WATCHING THE NEWS LAST NIGHT HONESTLY. AND YOUR GUYS I DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH IT. BUT ANY INJURY THAT COMES UP, WE HAVE AN INSURANCE PROGRAM THAT'S COVERED AND I JUST I JUST WANT THE SCHOOLS AND EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTACT US," SAM SPANGLER KHON2 NEWS WORKING FOR HAWAII DASH: POLICE ARE INVESTIGA