Houston, TX – Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden remains hospitalized in "stable yet critical condition" after suffering an injury that is considered 95 percent fatal.
Hayden was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital on Tuesday afternoon for evaluation of an injury sustained from a collision with a teammate in practice.
He required immediate surgery for a tear of the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from the lower half of the body back to the heart.
"This injury has never been seen or reported in association with a football injury and is more associated with high speed motor vehicle injuries," team physician Dr. Walter Lowe said in a statement Thursday. "The type of injury D.J. had is 95 percent fatal in the field and we are all very thankful for the coordinate response from the University of Houston trainers, EMS paramedics, the trauma team at Memorial Hermann and operating surgeon Dr. John Holcomb."
Hayden has four interceptions this season for the 4-5 Cougars.
"D.J. is a tremendous young man and has been a great asset to our program, both on and off the field," Houston coach Tony Levine said in a statement. "I ask that everyone continue to keep D.J. and his family in their thoughts and prayers. We are very fortunate to have some of the nation's top physicians and medical facilities just minutes away from our campus and I would like to extend our appreciation for their efforts on Tuesday evening. We thank you for respecting the privacy of D.J. and his family at this time. We look forward to supporting D.J. on his road to recovery."
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