Former Alabama Prep receiver hospitalized after scary hit in NFL game

Miami Dolphins fullback Grant DuBose remains hospitalized in Houston after suffering a horrific blow during an NFL game against the Texans on Sunday. But Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had some hopeful news to share after the game, saying the team received “positive feedback” from testing the former Alabama high school star.

DuBose was injured in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 20-12 loss when he took a helmet-to-helmet hit from safety Caden Bullock as he tried to catch a pass on a slant pattern. While the officials charged Bullock with unnecessary roughness, DuBose lay motionless on the turf at NRG Stadium.

The Dolphins’ medical staff worked on DuBose for more than 10 minutes before placing him on a backboard and then on a stretcher to leave the field. At this point, they had cut off DuBose’s shirt to remove his shoulder pads and unscrewed his face mask to remove his helmet and attach a neck brace.

While DuBose was being treated, his teammates gathered in a large circle to pray.

“It was scary, man,” Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said after the game. “It’s scary to be on the field and see one of your brothers land the way he landed. It’s scary, man. …

“We know Grant is a soldier. We all prayed for him as a team. They say he’s in a good mood right now. He moves, so that’s all that matters, man.”

Shortly after DuBose left the field, the Dolphins announced that he had been “ruled out due to a head injury.” His condition is stable and he will be transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.”

DuBose was taken to Hermann Memorial-Texas Medical Center, which is about 3 miles from the stadium in Houston.

After the game, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he put DuBose in a bad spot.

“I’m my harshest critic when it comes to ball placement, when it comes to knowing where to put the ball and stuff like that,” Tagovailoa said, “and I just feel bad that I even put him in that situation have.” Blow. It was hard to move on after that happened. I heard good news that he is fine and recovering.”

Tagovailoa missed five games in the 2022 season due to two concussions and spent four games on injured reserve this season after suffering another concussion.

“We all know I went through something very similar, and it’s no fun,” Tagovailoa said. “You never want to be in one of these situations, but you also understand that this is a physical sport, a contact sport. And again I think about what I could have done to avoid putting Grant in that situation.”

Like Tagovailoa, DuBose was injured in Miami’s second game of the 2024 season. A week after his NFL regular season debut, DuBose suffered a shoulder injury that sent him to injured reserve for eleven games.

On Saturday, the Dolphins added DuBose back to their active roster, and they needed him on Sunday. Miami was without three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday and played without wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on Sunday when DuBose was injured. Waddle left the competition late in the first half with a knee injury.

DuBose received his second NFL reception in Sunday’s game.

After graduating from Park Crossing High School in Montgomery, DuBose had an opportunity to continue his football career.

At Miles College, he played for the Golden Bears’ SIAC championship and NCAA Division II playoff team in 2019. But after Miles canceled its 2020 schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic, DuBose found himself packing groceries, delivering takeout orders, and at Walmart and Hyundai work Glovis.

DuBose returned to college football with Charlotte after making contact with the 49ers through former Sidney Lanier quarterback James Foster. In two seasons with Charlotte, DuBose caught 126 passes for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdowns.

DuBose joined the Green Bay Packers as a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A back injury caused DuBose to start training camp late, and although he returned to play in two preseason games, he spent the entire 2023 season on Green Bay’s practice squad without playing in a regular season contest.

During the Packers’ three-game preseason schedule this season, DuBose had five receptions for 66 yards. He was released at the end of the preseason when Green Bay reduced its active roster to its regular-season limit.

DuBose landed on the Dolphins as a waiver claim and played 39 offensive snaps in the first two games of the season.