Boston College linebacker Bodie Kahoun was placed on a cart and taken away by ambulance during Friday night's game against Rutgers at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, after lying motionless on the field for several minutes.
Kahoun, a redshirt sophomore who transferred to the Eagles from Notre Dame, tackled Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond with 7:52 left in the first half. He then fell awkwardly under leaping teammate Carter Davis. When the pile of players was cleared, Kahoun remained on his back as trainers rushed onto the turf.
ESPN's broadcast returned from a commercial break to the scene. "Serious situation here in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts," play-by-play announcer Mike Monaco said. "Bodie Kahoun, the redshirt sophomore Notre Dame transfer, receiving medical attention. You'll see they already have the cart out and Kahoun laying on his back."
Analyst Jordan Rodgers, the brother of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a former Vanderbilt quarterback, broke down the replay. "As he's coming in from left to right, he's gonna get involved here in the tackle," Rodgers said. "Looks pretty routine up to here. Just takes a hard hit. A lot of times, when your teammate almost tackles the ball carrier into you, you're not as ready to absorb the hit."
Players from both Boston College and Rutgers took a knee as Kahoun was carted off the field and loaded into an ambulance.
Boston College Athletics said in a social media post that Kahoun had "movement in all extremities" and was "being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation." ESPN later reported that he was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital along with his father, Craig.
Coach Bill O'Brien on Kahoun's injury
Eagles coach Bill O'Brien addressed the injury after the game. "Very tough," O'Brien said. "He's just an awesome guy. You can see what that meant to the team. That meant a lot to the team. We'll have some further news on that later, but it looks like there's some hope there with the feeling in the extremities."
Kahoun had already recorded six tackles for Boston College before the play that ended his night.
Rutgers' comeback falls short
After Kahoun's injury, Rutgers nearly rallied from a 17-0 deficit before losing 28-21, dropping the Scarlet Knights to 0-2 on the season. Greg Schiano's team will now look for its first win of the year in a Big Ten matchup against Southern California.
Boston College evened its record at 1-1 and will next play an in-state matchup against Maine.
Who is Bodie Kahoun
Kahoun, a 6ft 2in, 225-pound linebacker from Roanoke, Virginia, originally committed to play at Notre Dame before transferring to Boston College this season.
A game dedicated to a 9/11 hero
Boston College was already playing Friday's game in memory of former Eagles lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who died 25 years ago in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Crowther has since been identified as the "Man in the Red Bandanna," the hero credited with repeatedly returning to the burning building to rescue at least 10 people before it collapsed.
Eagles defensive back KP Price spoke about the added meaning at halftime. "Hey, now we're playing for two reasons: for Bodie, for Welles," Price said.
