Call Football: LB Evan Tattersall Back at Practice, Cleared for Contact After Scary Injury

Four weeks ago Bears backup linebacker was taken off the field in a cart

When Cal linebacker Evan Tattersall was loaded onto a cart after lying on the ground for what seemed like an eternity following a vicious hit against USC on Nov. 16, the questions were more about Tattersall's safety than his football future.

As he was wisked away to the hospital, the notion that he might play again this season was not part of the speculation. 

However, on Sunday, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said Tattersall had been medically cleared for contact and every other practice drill just four weeks after the incident. It is very possible Tattersall may play in the Dec. 30 Redbox Bowl game against Illinois as a backup inside linebacker.

“Evan’s back out here practicing,” Wilcox said Sunday about halfway through the above video. “We’re not going live right now, but he’s back out running around, and he’s able to do everything.”

Wilcox confirmed that Tattersall, a redshirt freshman, has been cleared for contact.

“Yeah, as of today, he’d be cleared to go, yeah,” Wilcox said.

The good news about Tattersall’s condition began immediately after the USC game, when Wilcox said it looked like Tattersall would be OK in his postgame comments. Then, the next day, Cal reported Tattersall had beem alert and had movement in his extremities and had been taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. He was released from the hospital and sent home Saturday night, just hours after the game, increasing the optimism for his future.

Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter was happy to have Tattersall back at practice.

“That was good to see,” said DeRuyter in the video below after his comments on Glenn. “Obviously Evan knows what our packages are. He gets a chance to be in hear with Weav being out [Evan Weaver attended the Lott Trophy presentation]. After getting shooken up a few games ago, it’s good to have him out competing again.”

Though things quickly took a positive turn after Tattersall left the game, it was a good sign to have him back so quickly.

“Yeah, that was a violent play, scary play,” DeRuyter said. “But obviously the doctors have signed off on it. They feel like he’s recovered, just like any other normal – I say normal – concussion.”