Following Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell being stretchered off the field, former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall reflected on his own experiences with frightening on-field injuries. Campbell's injury during a game against the Minnesota Vikings left teammates, including Aidan Hutchinson, visibly shaken.
Marshall, who played for the Denver Broncos, recalled a specific incident on September 9, 2007, when teammate Dominic Hixon suffered a severe cervical spine injury after a tackle by Kevin Everett. Everett's injury was so serious that doctors were uncertain if he would ever walk again, though he ultimately defied those odds. Marshall also shared an experience from his college days at UCF where a teammate, defensive lineman Paul Carrington, was airlifted to the hospital after an injury during practice before the 2005 season. Carrington went on to play 15 NFL games and lead Conference USA with nine sacks that year.
"Honestly, it comes with it," Marshall said in an interview with OutKick. "In those moments, you’re shocked and you’re really feeling for your teammate or the guy on the field. But once the whistle blows, you don’t get wrapped up in your emotions. You have to have a short-term memory. You’re trained to move forward."
The Detroit Lions later announced that "preliminary indications are positive" regarding Campbell's condition, but they would not share further information out of respect for him and his family. Coach Dan Campbell told reporters that prayers were working and asked for continued support.
Campbell was injured in the fourth quarter when he collided with Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson after Hockenson caught a pass. Campbell appeared to make contact with his facemask rather than his shoulders or arms while falling to his knees. He collapsed immediately and lay motionless on the field, though he did not require assistance with breathing. "That's difficult, you know, it's difficult," Dan Campbell stated. "You don't ever want to see somebody like that on the field, but when you see Jack, Jack never lays on the field ever, no matter what it is. And that's when you're like, it puts it in perspective… when you're in the world we're in, you know, you got to snap back, and it's not an easy thing to do."