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Everyone in attendance for LaGrange College’s season opener against Berry on Saturday in Callaway Stadium had to experience a heartbreaking scene when To’Mari Vinson was injured in the first quarter.

Vinson was down on the field for over 30 minutes before being taken away by an ambulance to Piedmont Midtown Hospital in Columbus, where he was diagnosed with a fracture to one of his cervical vertebrae. 

He had a successful surgery Sunday morning and remains in the ICU. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery, but he has a long road ahead. 

The game continued after a long pause and a moment of silence, but the atmosphere remained somber throughout the rest of the game as the concern for Vinson’s wellbeing lingered in the stadium.

“We continue to encourage the community to lift him up in prayer,” LaGrange College said in a statement.

Vinson is listed as a defensive lineman out of Prattville High School on the LaGrange College athletic website. He spent his freshman year of college at Jones Community College.