Hospitalized Northwestern football player breaks silence after scary incident

The Northwestern Wildcats’ opener against South Dakota State went well on the scoreboard, ending in a 34-18 win, but the game wasn’t without bad news: the team’s starting center, Jackson Carsello, suffered a neck injury and received medical attention before being carted off the field.

Carsello, a graduate student, started the game for coach David Braun’s team alongside new starting quarterback Aidan Chiles at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, which is being phased out in favor of the program’s new Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, part of a bonanza of spending on the Northwestern football program.

Carsello broke the silence about his scary injury on Sunday in a positive, upbeat post that included information on Saturday night’s injury.

“So grateful for the love and support! Feeling so blessed! I’ll be back soon. Go Cats!” he concluded with a purple heart. Carsello also mentioned the Northwestern football program’s official message about his injury, which stated that he was “evaluated on the field by Northwestern’s medical staff and transported to a local hospital as a precaution.”

The Wildcats added that Carsello “returned to the team’s facility last night” and “is up and walking, feeling good overall, and focused on his continued recovery,” also saying that updates will be provided as they become available.

Carsello is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound native of Northbrook, Illinois, who started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season. He finished with a 79.8 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked fourth nationally among centers and third among Big Ten centers, making him a key part of new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system.

Kelly, Braun and the Wildcats will face coach Deion Sanders’ 1-0 Colorado Buffaloes on Sept. 19 in Evanston, following a bye week this week that will give Carsello and his teammates extra time to rest up.

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