Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart nearly had his head ripped off during a sack Saturday against Alabama.
During the second half of the Crimson Tide’s 30-24 victory at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Alabama linebacker, Dallas Turner, sacked Dart and nearly decapitated him during the process, seeming to grab his helmet’s facemask and twist his head in what looked like a frightening 90+ degree turn.
Jaxson Dart was okay after this facemask penalty. pic.twitter.com/U9o1QXCxgP
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 12, 2022
Dart was nevertheless able to move limbs after a tackle making him one lucky man. From the looks of it, his neck could have been snapped, ending his season (or career) and leaving him with a long road to recovery.
The refs showered the sack with yellow laundry for an obvious facemask penalty, giving Ole Miss a first down. But for Dart’s teammates, the best part was probably seeing that Dart was okay afterwards. The human neck is not supposed to twist and turn the way Dart’s did there — at least not without breaking. (RELATED: Benched Baker Mayfield Headbutts His Teammates Without Helmet On. Al Michaels Roasts Him)
The nasty facemask penalty couldn’t help but remind me of when Johnny Manziel had his head twisted around similarly as a member of the Cleveland Browns back in 2015.
Johnny Manziel looking out his earhole on this face mask from Arthur Moats pic.twitter.com/tWcpb3qgNu
— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) November 15, 2015
Or when Philadelphia Eagles’ running back, Miles Sanders, nearly snapped his neck a few years back during a kickoff return, in a game against the Detroit Lions.
Miles Killebrew was fined $10,527 for unnecessary roughness on this missed facemask last week that nearly took off Miles Sanders’ head. pic.twitter.com/io8CSpcQbt
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) September 28, 2019
Luckily all three men shook off the grueling facemask penalties without suffering life-altering injuries. Major disasters were avoided in all three instances. Unlike what happened to Louisville’s Anthony Connor, who broke his neck in a tackle but was fortunately not paralyzed.
Dart ought to give special thanks to the man above tonight for not ending up crippled or worse from Turner’s sack.