Jets Country

Jets' Cameron Clark Expected to Make Full Recovery From Spinal Cord Injury

New York Jets guard Cameron Clark is expected to make a full recovery from a spinal cord contusion sustained during the first padded practice of training camp

Max Goodman

John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Toward the end of another jam-packed day at Jets training camp, practice came to a screeching halt Tuesday afternoon when offensive lineman Cameron Clark sustained a neck injury.

Reporters at the facility in Florham Park detailed the scene as Clark lay motionless, surrounded by trainers before he was taken away on a stretcher. 

Initially, head coach Robert Saleh didn't have too much information to share regarding what happened to the second-year lineman. He recalled spotting Clark go down out of the corner of his eye, saying he needed to go back and watch the tape to see exactly what transpired.

Hours later, the Jets delivered some good news. The lineman is expected to make a full recovery from what was diagnosed as a spinal cord contusion.

"Football goes away at that moment," Saleh told reporters. "It’s about the person and his family, his mom and everyone in his life. That’s what takes precedence at that moment and so football just goes away. You get empathy in the sense that we all have families."

Clark will remain at nearby Morristown Medical Center for further evaluation and observation overnight, the team added. The 23-year-old was a fourth-rounder picked up by the Jets in the 2020 NFL draft. He has yet to officially make his NFL debut.

"Cameron, a tremendous young man and he’s got a lot of great work ethic," Saleh said. "He’s well liked in the room. The game is very important to him. He’d been moving in the right direction. Hopefully everything comes out good on these checkup’s and we can get him back here soon."

The sobering injury turned out to be the final play of the day for New York—the first padded practice of training camp—as Saleh chose to call practice.

"I cut it. There was supposed to be one more period, but we just cut it, there was no point," he said.

Saleh wasn't the only one shaken up by what happened. 

"Man, it’s scary," rookie quarterback Zach Wilson said. "What it takes to get to this position and then just how that can change his life, I don’t know how serious anything is, but you feel for the dude and you take every day and approach every play like it could be your last. I’m not sure if it is, he could be back tomorrow, I have no idea but it’s just a scary situation when someone is getting carted off the field. You just pray that he’s going to be alright. You hope God can just watch over him and everything he’s doing. It kind of just shocks everyone a little bit."

MORE:

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

Home/News