Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roster, Injury News 2017: Defensive End William Gholston Suffers Neck Injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston gave the fans a scare this past Sunday when he suffered what initially appeared to be a noncontact neck injury in the third quarter of their 30–10 loss to the Saints.
The fifth-year pro lay motionless on the ground for several minutes before he was placed on a stretcher and taken off the field on a cart. PewterReport.com would later report that a helmet-to-helmet hit with a Saints offensive lineman caused the injury. But Gholston's teammates weren't even sure what happened after the game.
"We didn't see it. We turned our backs and saw him on the ground," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Baker said, via ESPN. "We're praying for him. What happened on the field, it's a tough situation. Any given play could be your last play in this league. We're praying for the best, that nothing too serious happened to him," he continued.
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"Nobody knew. We just [saw] him down. We kind of really still don't know. You never want to see one of your family members go out, especially like that," teammate Gerald McCoy stated.
Gholston was taken to a local hospital for further testing, and after the game, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter told reporters that the former Michigan State was deemed "neurologically sound." According to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, Gholston is expected to fly home with his teammates.
Gholston has 24 tackles in eight games this season.
Meanwhile, the National Football League (NFL) has suspended Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans for one game after he blindsided Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore in an altercation instigated by quarterback Jameis Winston this past Sunday.
Evans wasn't ejected from the game, but he couldn't escape punishment from the league. The fourth-year pro has already apologized for his actions during the game, and he is expected to appeal his suspension.
