Brock Huard: I remember thinking I broke my neck on the field

Brock Huard had his NFL career cut short by injuries, but it was a fluky play during a high school all-star game that left him motionless on the field.

It was the Washington All-State football game, at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane. He fumbled the snap and dove to recover, colliding with future University of Washington teammate Mac Tuiaea, a 6-foot 6-inch, 285-pound defensive tackle.

“And I lay on the ground, and I had the hottest fire pour over my entire body from my ears to my toes and I remember laying there thinking, ‘I just broke my neck,'” Brock told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “I could not move. I had a stinger of stingers.”

Related: Ricardo Lockette’s injury a reason to consider ‘concussion clause’

Huard had suffered other stingers &#8212 which is an intensely painful, albeit common, nerve injury at the neck or shoulder &#8212 during his career, but that collision was the worst.

“I remember that moment of truth, laying there, like, ‘did I just break my neck? Is this it?'” Brock said.

Thankfully, the tingling returned to Huard’s hands and he regained movement, but he said he couldn’t move his neck for three days. Huard said he likely strained a neck ligament, but never went for an MRI.

Popular Seattle wide receiver and special teams ace Ricardo Lockette will miss the rest of the season after a scary looking injury in Sunday’s win against the Cowboys. Lockette underwent surgery Monday to stabilize his neck, but the 29-year-old’s NFL career is certainly in question.

Huard can only hope that Lockette makes a quick recovery, but he does have an idea of how Lockette felt on the field.

“I promise you, when Ricardo woke up from his concussion &#8212 because he was knocked out as well &#8212 he knew instantly, something’s wrong here in my neck,” Huard said. “This isn’t right and there’s some excessive pain here that isn’t normal.”