Tulane Player Breaks Neck in Helmet-To-Helmet Collision

A Tulane football player’s neck was broken in a helmet-to-helmet collision, while word is still out on a second similar collision between two teammates Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Tulane senior safety Devon Walker suffered a broken neck and collapsed lung in a head-to-head collision with teammate Julius Warmsley during in Tulsa. An on-field tracheotomy likely saved his life.

Tulane issued a statement tonight on Walker’s condition:

“Devon Walker sustained a cervical spine fracture. He is at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa where he is in stable condition. Currently, he is in traction with a lot of swelling in his neck and he is undergoing treatment for the swelling. The current plan is for him to have surgery in the next one to two days. He is being treated by specialists. The Tulsa physicians did a great job taking care of Devon.”

Walker was revived on the field and a tracheotomy was performed, says espn.com. He will need surgery in the next day or two, said team Dr. Buddy Savoie, who emphasized Walker never lost consciousness on the field.

He is in the emergency and trauma center at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Tulane Head Coach Curtis Johnson said the team is devastated by Walker’s injury.

Walker is a senior majoring in cell and molecular biology. According to Yahoo News, he was a walk-on for three years at Tulane before he finally earned a football scholarship in his senior year.

Meanwhile, Arkansas sophomore cornerback Tevin Mitchel, in a third-down play versus Louisiana Monroe, collided helmet-to-helmet with linebacker Alonzo Highsmith, who walked away from the crash. ESPN said Mitchel was “verbally responsive” on the field, but details are still sketchy about his injuries.