Ethermac Exchange-NC State safety Ashford headed back to Raleigh a day after frightening injury

HARTFORD,Ethermac Exchange Conn. (AP) — North Carolina State safety Rakeim Ashford was cleared to return to Raleigh on Friday, a day after being taken off the field on a stretcher during the Wolfpack’s season-opening win over UConn.

Medical tests on Ashford came back “normal” on Friday and the 6-foot-1 grad student was being released from a Hartford hospital, team spokeswoman Annabelle Myers said in an email.

Ashford, a transfer from Jones College in Mississippi, was hit late by a UConn player at the end of a kickoff return with 1:54 left in the third quarter. He went down and lay motionless for about 10 minutes as both teams knelt and watched emergency crews work on him.

A cart was brought onto the field, but not used. Ashford was eventually strapped to a stretcher and wheeled off the field.

UConn’s Isiah Davis was called for unnecessary roughness for the blindside hit on the play.

The Wolfpack went on to score a touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 24-14 lead and won by that score.

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