Elyjah Thurmon leaves hospital, heads back to Clemson

Saturday night in Tallahassee was the scariest part of Clemson's season. Sunday afternoon brought the update everybody was waiting on.

Jackson Castellano

@jaxacastellano

UPDATE: Elyjah Thurmon has been released from the hospital and is headed back to Clemson, per team. He was held overnight after taking a hit to the head against FSU, being carted off the field and taken via ambulance to Tallahassee Memorial. t.co/lkqG8GfHI9

Here's what happened. Early in the second quarter, on a Clemson running play, Thurmon met a Florida State linebacker helmet to helmet and took the hit on the left side of his head. Medical staff worked on him for 11 minutes before he was put on a stretcher, carted off and taken by ambulance to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, with his mother riding along.

The one moment that let the stadium breathe again was when Thurmon got an arm up and gave a thumbs up on his way off the field. At halftime Dabo Swinney didn't have much more than that. He said Thurmon was "responsive and moving," and that was all he could share at the time. The Tigers went on to beat the Seminoles 36-24, but nobody was talking about the score while one of their linemen was spending the night in a hospital bed.

That's why the first reaction on Sunday was pure relief from people who cover this team.

Nick Coppola

@Nick_Coppola__

Fantastic news for Clemson guard Elyjah Thurmon:

Clemson Football

@ClemsonFB

OL Elyjah Thurmon has been discharged from the hospital and is returning to Clemson. Thank you to the medical teams from both Clemson and Florida State for their care. Elyjah, his family and the broader Clemson family are grateful for everyone's prayers and support last night.

Thurmon is in his 3rd season at Clemson, and this hasn't been an easy year for him physically. He was already banged up once in the Tigers' September 25 game against Cal. Getting out of the hospital after 1 night is the best outcome anyone could ask for after a scene like Saturday's. It doesn't tell us anything about when he plays again, though.

What to watch next: Clemson hasn't said anything about a diagnosis or a timeline yet, and a hit to the head means a return-to-play protocol before football is even on the table. Expect the next real update when Swinney talks this week. For now, the kid is going home, and after watching him strapped to a stretcher for 11 minutes, that's the only headline that matters.