ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- A Mission Hills High School football player who collapsed on the sideline of a game in San Marcos two weeks ago remains in critical condition and is barely responsive, his doctor said Friday.

Scott Eveland, a linebacker who stumbled off the field in the second quarter of a Sept. 14 home contest against West Hills High School, suffered the worst football-related head injury his doctor has ever seen, comparable to traffic accident victims, Dr. Vrijesh Tantuwaya said at a news conference.

It could be a couple of months before a prognosis for Eveland's recovery becomes clear, said Tantuwaya, who specializes in neurological and spinal surgery at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido.

"Time is going to determine how he ends up doing," Tantuwaya said.

The 17-year-old was in a coma when he arrived at the hospital with "a subdural hematoma and brain swelling," the doctor said.

Tantuwaya praised emergency room staff for rushing the athlete into surgery in about an hour, where part of his cranium was removed to reduce pressure on the brain and remove blood.

No other surgical procedures have been needed since, though the teen is being treated for a bout of pneumonia, a typical condition for a patient with such an injury, according to Tantuwaya.

The boy has shown increased movement in his right side and has opened his eyes some, but "a lot of that is reflexive brain activity" that is "not significant," the doctor said.

Eveland responds to pain and temperature changes, but that is also reflexive, Tantuwaya said.

He is on a ventilator but is breathing some on his own, his doctor said.

The physician was unable to say just how Eveland was hurt. Coaches who examined videotape of the game were unable to determine when the senior suffered a blow to the head.

Eveland had blood between the brain and a tough cover of the brain called the dura mater, Tantuwaya said.

Blood in that area can damage nerves and cause the brain to swell, which is problematic because a teenager's skull is full, according to the doctor. A blood clot was one centimeter thick, he said.

"With a head injury, you can never really predict (an outcome)," Tantuwaya said. "Every person is different; every injury is different."

He said he has seen patients with similar injuries die or remain in a vegetative state, but others have recovered.

The physician said Eveland's parents authorized the news conference so that accurate information about their son's condition could be presented. The family was aware of an outpouring of community support, he said.

"I think the family is doing remarkably in how they're dealing with this," Tantuwaya said.

The Evelands are "one of the most reasonable and wise families" he's dealt with in understanding the nature of the injury and making decisions, the doctor added.

Eveland's teammates, who had a bye last week, opened Valley League play Friday with a 35 - 21 victory over Valley Center High School.