NFL's Lockette to have neck surgery after hit

The Seattle Seahawks said wide receiver Ricardo Lockette was to undergo surgery Monday to stabilize his neck after suffering ligament damage in a collision during Sunday's 13-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Lockette was taken to a Dallas hospital after being removed from the field at AT&T Stadium by stretcher shortly before half-time.

The Seahawks announced Sunday night that Lockette had suffered a concussion.

"He has full motion and feeling in all extremities and his prognosis is good," the National Football League club said Monday. "We will provide an update following surgery."

Dallas safety Jeff Heath's hard hit laid out Lockette, who was quickly attended to by medical personnel as players and coaches from both sides gathered near midfield. 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 told 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."

Source: AFP