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Rice safety Daveon Hook suffers frightening injury

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 5:32 PM ET

Rice safety Daveon Hook suffered a frightening injury during Friday’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl against Texas State at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Tex.

Hook was going for a tackle late in the third quarter of Friday’s game when a Texas State player accidentally struck him in the neck area. The safety went down on the turf and remained down for at least ten minutes as medical personnel tended to him.

Rice safety Daveon Hook was carted off the field after this play. pic.twitter.com/wQx7MacGO3
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2026

The game stopped for an extended period of time, and both teams were clearly shaken up by the injury.

Hook was immobilized on a stretcher and taken off the field. He did have visible movement in his arms while being stretchered off.

Emotional moment in Fort Worth as Rice safety Daveon Hook is loaded onto a stretcher, with all teammates joining him on the field.

Was down for at least 10 minutes. Showing movement in his arms. pic.twitter.com/qDno9DHGCQ
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) January 2, 2026

Hook, a senior from New York, had 19 total tackles and a sack on the season entering Friday’s bowl game. He was named an American Conference All-Academic in 2024 and 2025. He had not played since Oct. 31 against Memphis due to a separate injury, but managed to make it back and take the field for one final game before graduating.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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