It was one of the scariest plays we have seen on the football field in some time. Taking part on special teams, reserve Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette was hit hard by Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath.
It's the type of play that the NFL has attempted to avoid by pushing the kickoff up to the 35-yard line. It will also lead to more questions regarding the safety of players on special teams.
For Lockette, the situation seemed really bad. After the hit by Heath, the veteran receiver was motionless on the turf for a good 10-15 minutes before being carted off to the locker room by emergency personnel. He did provide a thumbs up to the concerned audience in Texas — an indication that paralysis wasn't the worst-case scenario in this situation.
The receiver also sent out a tweet Monday morning with a cheerful glow to it:
The day after Seattle's win over Dallas, head coach Pete Carroll indicated that Lockette will undergo neck surgery to stabilize ligament damage in his neck. He's going to be out for the remainder of the year with information regarding his long-term playing status set to be made available following the surgery. In this, there is a chance that Lockette's career could be over.