SMU CB AJ Davis Taken off Field in Ambulance After Injury vs. No. 18 Pitt

Julia StumbaughNovember 3, 2024

Sam Hodde/Getty Images

SMU defensive back AJ Davis was stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital after suffering an injury that resulted in neck pain in the second quarter of Saturday night’s home game against Pitt.

Davis appeared to suffer the injury after his helmet made contact with returner Tyreek Robinson on an attempted tackle.

Chris Vannini @ChrisVanniniSMU’s AJ Davis has been put on a stretcher and taken into an ambulance.

Looks like Davis’ head got clipped by the returner as he tried to make a tackle.

On TV, coach Rhett Lashlee pointed to the back of his own neck and appeared to tell SMU players “I think he’s OK.”

Billy Embody @BillyEmbodyThe ambulance is brought out for #SMU DB AJ Davis as Rhett Lashlee motions to his neck.

Great work here by medical staff to move quick. Davis’ family is out there now, too. He’ll be out of here pretty quickly to a local hospital.

Keep him in your thoughts tonight.

The SMU redshirt sophomore was put into a neck brace while being loaded into the ambulance. Davis’ family, all wearing his No. 14, came onto the field at Gerald J. Ford Stadium during the stoppage in play, per Vannini.

Lashlee said in an interview aired on the ACC Network that the team was “very optimistic” about Davis’ status (h/t On3’s Billy Embody.)

“We don’t know for sure. He was moving everything, he was alert so that’s positive,” Lashlee said. “Obviously, he had some pain in his neck so they were just being extra cautious. That’s the most I know so we’re very optimistic, but obviously, pretty scary.”

Davis, who joined SMU in 2022, is a Dallas local who was playing in his 20th game for the Mustangs. He had recorded four tackles and one pass defensed in eight games this season heading into Saturday’s matchup with No. 18 Pitt.