The Sports Xchange

SEATTLE — The Seahawks announced wide receiver Ricardo Lockette was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to stabilize his neck after suffering ligament damage in a violent collision on special teams during Sunday’s 13-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Lockette was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas after being removed from the field at AT&T Stadium by stretcher. The Seahawks later announced that Lockette had suffered a concussion on the play that occurred shortly before halftime.

“He has full motion and feeling in all extremities and his prognosis is good,” the Seahawks said in a statement Monday. “We will provide an update following surgery.”

Dallas safety Jeff Heath’s vicious hit laid out Lockette, who was a gunner on the Seattle punt coverage unit. Lockette was quickly attended to by medical personnel as players and coaches from both sides gathered around him near midfield.

After several minutes, Lockette’s face mask was removed from his helmet and he was immobilized on a stretcher. He was eventually lifted and taken off the field by a cart.

Lockette’s hands were moving and he pointed his index to the sky to cheers from the crowd. The injury happened with 12 seconds left in the half.

Heath was penalized for a blind-side block on the play.

“When I saw that he was injured like that, and he wasn’t moving, I hated it,” Heath said, per the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. “My intention is never to hurt anyone. I was playing hard, and he was doing the same thing. I heard he was all right, and I was really happy that he was able to move after when they were taking him off. I just was praying for him. That’s about it.”

While Lockette was being attended to on the field, there was a heated exchange between the teams, while Heath remained on the Cowboys’ sideline.

“They’re protecting their teammate, just like any guys would,” Heath said. “Sometimes their tempers get heated, especially in a situation like that. When I was on the side, I didn’t really hear if they were saying anything. They didn’t look very happy with me, obviously. But we would be the same way, you know. Like I said, I’m glad he’s doing all right.”