Edmond Memorial High School junior quarterback Talon Wilkerson is recovering in a hospital after undergoing surgery for a fractured vertebrae suffered during the Bulldogs’ 36-22 road loss to Mustang on Friday night, the Bulldogs' Facebook page confirmed.
Wilkerson was injured midway through the third quarter when a Mustang defender hit him as he extended for a first down. He remained motionless on the field while medical personnel attended to him during a 20-minute delay. He was placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
"The Wilkerson family would like to thank you for your thoughts and prayers," the Facebook page posted in multiple comments to people asking for a status update of Wilkerson. "Talon has had surgery to repair a fractured vertebrae and is on the way to recovery. We appreciate your continued prayers as he recovers."
According to KREF Sports announcer Tony Sellars, Wilkerson underwent surgery early Saturday morning and is recovering.
Sellars reported that Wilkerson has feeling and movement in his legs but continues to have difficulty moving his arms. He is expected to be moved to the intensive care unit.
Wilkerson is in his first season as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. Through his first seven games, he has completed 68% of his passes for 1,523 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond Memorial football QB Talon Wilkerson undergoes surgery for fractured vertebrae