HOUSTON (WBTV) – A former UNC Charlotte football player went to the hospital after being transported following a horrific blow to the head during Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans.

Grant DuBose, playing in just his third game for the Dolphins, was the victim of an illegal hit with nine minutes left in the third quarter.

Houston’s Calen Bullock delivered the blow as DuBose tried to catch a pass from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

As DuBose went to the ground to make the pass, Bullock’s body hit the side of the receiver’s head.

The hit itself was scary, but the scene that unfolded afterward was even scarier.

Immediately after the collision, DuBose rolled onto his back and lay motionless. Then, after medical staff worked on him for a few minutes, they cut off his jersey before putting him on a stretcher and taking him to a local hospital. According to broadcasters, he appeared to have been hooked up to an EKG and an IV, as well as oxygen.

As medical personnel tended to the former Charlotte 49er, dozens of Dolphins players and staff gathered for a collective prayer.

DuBose injury update

About a half-hour after DuBose went down, the Dolphins said he was in “stable condition” and classified the injury as a head injury. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel later told reporters that head and neck imaging showed “positive feedback.” Further updates are expected to be released on Monday.

After the game, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill called the situation “scary.”

“Being on the field and seeing it and then actually seeing one of your brothers lay the way he laid is scary,” Hill said. “People don’t understand the sacrifices we have to make in this game… we know Grant is a trooper. We have all been praying for him as a team and it is said that he is in good spirits.”

Hill told reporters that DuBose was moving.

DuBose reportedly did not travel back to Miami with the team Sunday night because he remained hospitalized.

College and NFL career

DuBose is currently in the second year of his NFL career and has only played in three games, all of which came against Miami in 2024. He was taken by Green Bay in the seventh round of last year’s draft but never played.

He was released by the Packers in August and claimed by the Dolphins the following day. DuBose made his NFL debut in the season opener at Miami on September 8 and caught his first pass four days later on Thursday Night Football. However, he was placed on injured reserve shortly afterwards. Sunday’s game against Houston was his first game back.

During his three games, DuBose caught two passes for 13 yards. He hasn’t scored any points as a professional yet.

Before reaching the NFL, DuBose became a star at UNC Charlotte, rushing for nearly 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in his two seasons with the 49ers. He previously played at Miles College in Alabama.

At some point during the COVID-19 pandemic, DuBose began bagging groceries at Wal-Mart and working on the assembly line at a local auto factory.

“My journey wasn’t the typical journey,” he said before the 2023 draft. “But I’m grateful for everything… I knew what I wanted in life. I knew I wanted to be here today.”

DuBose is the eighth 49er to make it to the NFL.

Also read: ‘The job isn’t done’: After betting on himself, the UNC Charlotte star is ready to begin the NFL journey

Check out ongoing coverage here:

Copyright 2024 WBTV. All rights reserved.