Tulane Safety Devon Walker Undergoes First Surgery, Now Recovering

Tulane safety Devon Walker, who was seriously injured in the Green Wave’s game at Tulsa on Sept. 8, has been moved to an in-patient rehabilitation center to continue recovery efforts from a spinal injury. Both the Walker family Devon himself have issued updates on Devon’s condition:

Walker and his family have moved to a new location as of Sept. 18, but asked in the statement that the specific center not be disclosed due to privacy concerns. Walker is a New Orleans native who played Destrehan High School, just miles from Tulane.

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Tulane Athletics Director Rick Dickson read the statement on the family’s behalf:

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Injured Tulane safety Devon Walker underwent his first of several surgeries on Sunday, little more than 24 hours after his devastating injury on the field during Saturday’s Tulane-Tulsa game in Tulsa, Okla. The surgery on Sunday was to stabilize his spine:

Doctors have stated that because of swelling in the area it will be difficult to assess the long-term effects of the injury:

Tulane safety Devon Walker suffered a frightening neck injury during Saturday’s game between the Green Wave and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. In spite of initial reports to the contrary, however, he did not suffer a collapsed long or have a tracheotomy performed on the field as medical personnel tended to him, per Tulane team doctors.

“He did not drop a lung,” said Green Wave team doctor Greg Stewart. He added that the doctors and paramedics on hand did perform CPR on Walker while he was on the field.

Tulane safety Devon Walker has a cervical spine fracture and will undergo surgery in the next two days, says Tulane team doctor Buddy Savoie (via KTUL Tulsa’s John Moss.)

Walker suffered the injury just before halftime of Tulane’s game against Tulsa. After a massive collision with a teammate he was breathing but unresponsive on the field, and CPR and an emergency tracheotomy were performed. An ambulance was brought on to the field, and Walker was responsive by the time he was taken to the hospital. In addition to the cervical fracture, Walker suffered a collapsed lung.

Tulane safety Devon Walker is now in stable condition at a Tulsa hospital, according to WBRC-TV’s Rick Karle.

Walker received CPR on the field during Tulane’s game against Tulsa on Saturday after what looked to be a head and/or neck injury just before the half. The injury occurred while Walker attempted to make a play on the ball but instead, ran into one of his teammates. The CPR was administered when he stopped breathing at one point, but he was breathing and responsive before getting in the ambulance and leaving the field.

Tulane safety Devon Walker received CPR on the field during the Green Wave’s game against Tulsa on Saturday afternoon after sustaining an apparent head and/or neck injury just before halftime. Walker was attempting to make a play on a Tulsa player, but inadvertently collided with his own teammate instead. He at one point stopped breathing, but it was confirmed that he was both breathing and responsive by the time he was loaded into the ambulance.

Walker, a former walk-on senior from New Orleans, La., appeared in 30 games for the Green Wave in his first three seasons, providing depth in the secondary and playing on special teams. He totaled 47 tackles, four pass breakups and one forced fumble entering the 2012 season.