Jahvid Best In Surprisingly Good Shape (i.e. Alive, Moving)

Someone recently wrote (I can't for the life of me remember who) that there's nothing quite like the sound of an entire stadium sure they just watched someone die.

When Best, the Golden Bears' star back, vaulted over Cameron Collins into the end zone, he guaranteed himself a place on highlight reels. And when he tumbled midair, coming down on his shoulder and neck, he pretty much guaranteed I will never ever let my children play football.

Scarier still were Best's limbs going stiff, as an analyst explained that "abnormal posturing" is a sign the brain has lost contact with the body. That's a phrase you never want to hear on an injury report. But oddly enough, that was reassuring, as it's a reaction seen in many a boxing and MMA knockout victim. And sure enough, Best suffered only a concussion, and not any spinal injuries.

As Best's uniform was literally cut off of him, and he was wheeled off with an oxygen mask as players on both sidelines prayed, we could be forgiven for fearing the worst.

I've never seen anybody that high in the air on the football field," [fullback Brian] Holley said later. "The way he fell, I knew immediately he had to be hurt. I saw his face and nothing was there. He had a blank stare and his arms were stiff."

This is Best's second concussion in eight days, which means that, despite the surprisingly good prognosis, he probably should be nowhere near a football field for the rest of the season. But at least the spectacular video can be shown on Deadspin, and not Faces of Death.

Scary Injury In Another Loss To OSU [SF Chronicle]