EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin was taken to a hospital by
ambulance after collapsing at Thursday's practice, and coach Brad
Childress said Harvin suffered another migraine headache attack.
Harvin, who has dealt with
migraines most of his life, has been unable to practice for most of
training camp because of the headaches and their debilitating symptoms.
Harvin returned to the field on
Monday after missing more than two weeks, but at the beginning of
Thursday's workout he experienced another episode that was scary enough
for the Vikings to halt practice while their teammate received medical
attention.
Childress said that Harvin's
episode was triggered when he looked up into a mostly cloudy sky to
field a punt during a special teams drill. Harvin went inside to see
team physician Dr. Sheldon Burns, then came back out to the field.
At that point, Harvin doubled
over and was seen trembling, before players and coaches stood in front
of him for privacy while reporters watched from a distance.
"I don't know how they classify
it," Childress said. "Not really a seizure, but he had some trouble over
here. I'd be remiss if I tried to qualify it one way or another. It
seemed like he was stable."
The Vikings continued with
practice for about five minutes while Harvin was being worked on, then
drills were stopped while the situation was sorted out. After Harvin was
loaded into the ambulance, the Vikings gathered on the field and took a
knee in prayer. They resumed their work for a few more minutes before
calling practice over at least an hour early.
The ambulance did not leave right
away after Harvin was loaded, and it left without sirens sounding or
lights flashing. Though the situation didn't appear grave, it was
clearly somber.
"Obviously that one hit, and it
hit hard," Childress said. "It's always scary for all of our guys when
you see a teammate struggling with whatever."