Football

Hayden makes practice appearance

Phillip Steward shows that his injured teammate, D.J. Hayden, is still on his mind during Saturday’s contest against Tulsa.  | Justin Tijerina /The Daily Cougar

Phillip Steward shows that his injured teammate, D.J. Hayden, is still on his mind during Saturday’s contest against Tulsa. | Justin Tijerina /The Daily Cougar

Less than a week after suffering a near-fatal injury, senior corner D.J. Hayden was released from the hospital.

Shortly after, Hayden surprised his teammates by showing up to a team meeting before practice. He spoke for 15 minutes.

“I went over a few brief announcements, and I told them we have a special guest,” said coach Tony Levine to the Houston Chronicle. “D.J. came out walking a little slower than usual, but he looks great.”

Hayden tore his inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood to the lower half of the body, six days ago after a collision with another player. According to UH team physician Dr. Walter Lowe, the injury is fatal 95 percent of the time.

Dr. Lowe said Hayden is ahead of schedule, and the healing process is progressing.

“He’s got a lot of healing left to do as the procedure to repair the inferior vena cava is much like a heart transplant. The sternum should take around three months to heal, and D.J. is expected to be able to resume normal activities without contact in three to four months.”

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