Evans Bruises Spinal Cord

The expansion Houston Texans’ first exhibition game--a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants--was tinged with sadness Monday night when reserve safety Leomont Evans had to be rushed to a local hospital after suffering a bruised spinal cord as he tried to rush a Giant punter.

Evans, a former Los Angeles Xtreme player in the now-defunct XFL, was on the right side of the Texans’ punt team when he seemed to lower his head and hit Giant blocker Sean Bennett high. Replays showed Evans crumpling to the turf, and he remained there even as Texans’ return man Avion Black raced through a seam and returned the kick 71 yards to the Giants’ 18-yard line.

Play was halted for almost 15 minutes as medical officials from both teams and paramedics on the scene worked on Evans at the Giants’ 30; players from both teams kneeled in prayer. He was taken to nearby Aultman Hospital. By game’s end, Evans, 28, had some feeling in both legs and had regained movement in his upper extremities and was undergoing further tests.

“That’s one of the toughest things to go through, when one of your brothers goes down,” said David Carr, the Texans’ 23-year-old rookie quarterback. “That [praying] wasn’t fake. That could have been any of us.”

In the game, David Carr made it clear why the expansion Houston team made him the No. 1 overall pick in the April college draft. He showed brilliant flashes despite an offensive line missing starters Tony Boselli (shoulder surgery) and Ryan Young (pulled groin).

Before being replaced in the third quarter, Carr completed nine of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown and showed scrambling ability when he avoided Michael Strahan with a lovely move to avoid a major loss.

“I like him,” said Strahan, who broke an NFL sack record with 22 1/2 last year. “He got around me, so that shows he can move. He showed composure in the pocket, and he’ll get better with time. He can throw the ball. Once their offense jells, they’ll be an exciting team to watch because of him.”

Jesse Palmer passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns for the Giants, and rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey had a touchdown catch along with a bruising 48-yard gain where he flattened several Texans.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.