Former Long Beach Poly High standout receiver Rick Smith is back in Southern California recovering from an alleged assault by a Boise State teammate.

News of the incident began circulating as a family friend created a GoFundMe account to help support the family. The funds request page read in part, “Rick was assaulted by one of his teammate … which landed him in the hospital in the ICU. Rick is suffering from a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage, and his entire brain is swollen.”

According to a source close to the family who wished to remain anonymous, Smith and a teammate were playfully slapboxing in the Boise State locker room on Feb. 9. When they were finished, Smith turned to walk away and the teammate allegedly struck him in the back of the head, knocking him into a locker, with Smith then collapsing onto the ground.

Smith was taken to a hospital in Boise and then discharged, but his parents decided to take him for further care after seeing that he was still in a lot of pain. His mother, Tiffany Porter, declined to comment on the incident that injured her son, but said she and her husband drove him home to Southern California after reading that Ronald Reagan Medical Center was an excellent hospital for brain injuries.

Smith spent several days at Ronald Reagan, and was visited by multiple former Poly teammates, one of whom said Smith seemed alert and recognized the people who came to see him.

His mother posted on Facebook on Tuesday that Smith was discharged and was home with his family.

“He needs speech and physical therapy,” Porter said. “He’s talking fine, but they still want him in therapy.”

She said the doctors ordered eight months of no lifting or sports for Smith, with a planned reevaluation down the road.

Boise Police Public Information Specialist Ryan Larrondo confirmed that an incident involving Smith has been filed with them, and stated that the injuries involved do not appear life threatening. He said the investigation is ongoing.

Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin said on Tuesday that Smith is still on the Boise State football team but declined further comment. Broncos Assistant Athletic Director of Media Relations Max Corbet reiterated that stance on Wednesday.

A source close to the family confirmed that they are pressing charges against the teammate who committed the alleged assault.

At Long Beach Poly, Smith was a Press-Telegram Dream Team selection in 2011 and among the top receiver recruits in California.

He played for Arizona State in 2012 and 2013. As a sophomore, he had 32 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils before transferring to Boise State. He red-shirted in 2014 for Boise State and was named the Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year.

Staff writer Greg Yee contributed to this report.