Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose was hospitalized overnight after a helmet-to-helmet hit during Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, the Dolphins said Monday.
DuBose tried to make a catch in the third quarter but got hit in the head by Texans rookie Calen Bullock before his head forcefully hit the ground. DuBose seemed to clench his fists after the hit, demonstrating the "fencing response," a common movement after a traumatic brain injury, according to NFL.com. He stayed motionless as emergency medical personnel hurried to treat him for over 10 minutes.
They cut off his jersey and put a neck brace on him before they placed him on a spine board with his arms and legs strapped down. A tube was spotted in his mouth, and he appeared to be motionless as he was wheeled off the field on a stretcher.
Bullock was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting a defenseless receiver.
After he was ruled out with a head injury, DuBose remained at a Houston hospital for evaluation overnight, the Dolphins said Monday. He has movement in all extremities and initial tests have revealed positive results, but he remains under the care of doctors for continued observation.
During his treatment on the field, the Dolphins knelt in a circle and seemed to be praying. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel and Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans embraced while DuBose was still down.
"I just feel bad that I even put him in that situation to have gotten hit," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said at a news conference. "It was tough to move on, you know, after that happened."
The Texans won 20-12.
It was DuBose's first game since he injured a shoulder early in the season. He was a seventh-round draft pick last season.
