Yahoo Sports Vanderbilt linebacker who left field on stretcher during Kentucky game returns to sideline
Vanderbilt senior edge defender Miles Capers was stretchered off the field during the second quarter of the Commodores’ game at Kentucky.
Capers, who contributed a key strip sack in the Commodores’ upset of No. 1 Alabama the week before, was injured on a 6-yard run from Kentucky running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye with 10:19 left in the second quarter. He was quickly surrounded by medical staff from both teams and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea.
Replays appeared to show Capers take a helmet-to-helmet hit from one of his own teammates while trying to tackle Sumo-Kargnbaye.
Play was stopped for several minutes before Capers was loaded onto a stretcher and taken off the field. During the stoppage Vanderbilt players went down on one knee along their sideline. At one point, UK coach Mark Stoops went onto the field to speak with Lea.
The SEC Network broadcast showed Capers’ parents being escorted out of the stands and onto the field during the delay. They accompanied him off the field after he was placed on the stretcher. Capers’ teammates surrounded the stretcher before he left the field.
The game was tied at 7 at the time of the injury.
Capers was taken to UK’s hospital for imaging, but returned to the Vanderbilt sideline for the second half.
“Miles is doing well,” Lea said after the game, a 20-13 Vanderbilt win. “He joined us for the end of the game on the sideline. I want to credit our medical team. I think anytime you are dealing with a neck injury you want to be so cautious and take every precaution. Our doctors and Ray (Lysinger) the work they did to get to Miles, assess Miles, I mean you want to talk about a group of pros. The way they talked to Miles and calmed him down.
“I also want to thank Kentucky’s medical team who was there to assist. And also want to thank Coach Stoops. At that moment, anytime as a coach that you have a player down and they are bringing the board out, that is a tough moment, and Coach Stoops was such a class act to check on him and check on me. ... I am happy to report that Miles is doing well. I don’t know if there will be lingering effects, but he is doing just fine and he has a smile on his face. He was happy to be back on the sidelines. A scary moment but again I thank everyone involved medically that took the precautions necessary to make sure he was okay.”
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