National Football League

Raiders RB Goodson carted off field

Published Aug. 7, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson left the hospital and returned to training camp headquarters on Tuesday night after he was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision during practice earlier in the day.

Goodson was taken away from practice by ambulance with a possible neck injury after an on-field collision with teammate Philip Wheeler. The Raiders said in a statement that a CT scan and MRI both came back negative, and that Goodson went back to the team hotel.

"The Raiders received encouraging news Tuesday night from doctors treating Mike Goodson, who left the practice field with a neck injury, with movement in his extremities," the team statement said.

Goodson was attempting to catch a pass from Carson Palmer during a passing drill when he was leveled by Wheeler with what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit that could be heard at the opposite end of the field.

The 25-year-old Goodson lay prone on the turf for about 15 minutes as teammates and trainers rushed over. Paramedics and firefighters arrived shortly thereafter, and Goodson appeared to move his legs and arms.

Practice continued while workers removed Goodson's facemask, but left the rest of his helmet intact. Goodson was strapped to a backboard before being loaded into an ambulance.

"He did have feeling in his extremities which is obviously good news," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said after practice. "I did not see it cleanly so I don't really know exactly what happened on the play. I heard it more than I saw it."

Wheeler, projected as a starting outside linebacker for Oakland, was visibly shaken and was still upset when talking to reporters after practice.

"I texted him already and told him that I'm praying for him, that I'm sorry and I didn't mean to do it," Wheeler said. "I thought he was going to get up. I didn't think he was that bad off until he said ... that he couldn't get up. That's when I knew he was pretty bad.

"It was just a bang-bang play. I'm just going to pray for him. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Several players, including injured running back Taiwan Jones and wide receiver Denarius Moore, kneeled beside Goodson before emergency personnel arrived. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour later walked over to check on Goodson, as did Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.

"When you're down there and you're hearing the ambulance coming, you could start to panic and think the worst," Jones said. "I just tried to stay by his side and reassure him that everything's going to be fine."

Goodson, acquired by the Raiders in a trade with Carolina, has been competing with Jones for the backup spot behind running back Darren McFadden. He had gotten into a scuffle with free agent safety Brandon Underwood earlier Tuesday.

The play was reminiscent of one in 2000 when Raiders running back Randy Jordan was taken away from training camp with a neck injury following a collision with a pair of teammates.

"You know at that position you're going to take a lot of hits," McFadden said. "It's football. You're going to get hit hard, so you just have to get up and get ready for the next play."

Notes

Rookie DE Jack Crawford sat out the second half of practice with a foot injury. ... Jones (hamstring), Moore (hamstring), Seymour (knee), Eddie McGee (hamstring) and Aaron Curry (knee) didn't practice.