Chargers’ Tolbert taken from field on stretcher

Published: December 26th, 2010 | Tags: Mike Tolbert, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Week 16 injuries 2010

UPDATE: NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reported Tolbert has passed all of his initial medical tests and was scheduled to travel home with the Chargers. Tolbert could sit out Week 17 as a precaution, but seems to have avoided serious injury.

A scary scene played out on Sunday in Cincinnati, where Chargers RB Mike Tolbert was taken off the field on a stretcher following a collision with two Bengals defenders.

Tolbert went down midway through the first quarter when he was hit by Reggie Nelson after a short run. Nelson appeared to hit Tolbert on the left side of the helmet. Tolbert did lower his head slightly, and appeared to be injured on the impact from Nelson, and not the ground. It left Tolbert face-down on the field, and motionless.

Players from both teams surrounded Tolbert as medical personnel immobilized him and strapped him to a body board before loading him on a stretcher. Because teams take every precaution available, there’s no indication to the severity of Tolbert’s condition to be taken from the scene on the field.

It was certainly encouraging to see Tolbert give a thumbs-up as he left the field, which drew a cheer from the crowd.

Tolbert was presumably taken to the locker room, and we’ll pass along any updates.

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Colts’ Collie taken off field on stretcher

Published: November 7th, 2010 | | Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Austin Collie, Week 9 injuries 2010, Kurt Coleman

UPDATE: The Colts announced Collie officially suffered a concussion.

An NFL game often takes on a serious tone when a violent injury takes place.

Such was the case with Colts WR Austin Collie in Sunday’s game against the Eagles, when he was carted off the field after taking two big hits following what was ruled an incomplete pass during the second quarter.

Collie appeared to haul in a pass from Peyton Manning over the middle of the field, and as he braced for a collision, was first hit on one side by the shoulder of Quintin Mikell, and then took a helmet-to-helmet hit from FS Kurt Coleman an instant later. The back of Collie’s helmet hit the field hard, and the severity of his injury was immediately clear. Collie immediately dropped the ball and appeared to have been knocked unconscious.

Team medical personnel removed Collie’s face mask and strapped him to a backboard before he was taken off the field on a stretcher. Manning came over to offer some words, and TV camera angles clearly showed Collie blinking his eyes. Because of the precautionary measures involved, it’s difficult to speculate on his exact injury or its severity.

And it was difficult to watch.

The play was ruled an incomplete pass, and a unnecessary roughness penalty was called on Mikell as Collie was deemed a “defenseless” receiver. The Colts did not make any immediate announcements.

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