NC State safety Rakeim Ashford released from hospital after leaving UConn game
N.C. State safety Rakeim Ashford was released from a Connecticut hospital on Friday after medical professionals removed him from the team’s opener via stretcher.
The medical team took Ashford to a local hospital for further care, where doctors held him overnight for tests. All tests were normal and he was cleared to travel home.
Ashford sustained an injury on Thursday against UConn during a kickoff return late in the third quarter. UConn’s Isiah Davis received an unnecessary roughness penalty for his hit on Ashford.
Both teams suspended play for about 10 minutes as paramedics evaluated Ashford on the sideline, where he reported having feeling and movement in his extremities.
“We were all just making sure – whether he could hear us or not or whether he was paying attention – that we were gonna finish this game for him,” NC State graduate linebacker Payton Wilson said. “No matter what it took, we were gonna come out of here with a dub for him.”
N.C. State won its opener against the Huskies, 24-14, including an emphatic 8-yard touchdown rush about one minute later. Graduate transfer QB Brennan Armstrong ran the ball in, scoring one final time.
“Rakeim is someone that everybody loves on this team. He walks around every day with a smile on his face and never has anything bad to say,” Wilson said. “It’s awful to see anyone go down, more so Rakeim because of how great of a person he is.”
NC State officials did not specify the exact nature of Ashford’s injury or what his recovery time will look like. The team medical staff will continue to monitor his health going forward.
