Sturgis back at practice after concussion

Accidentally hit in head by punt

During the follow-through Dirk Johnson’s punt dropped out of the sky and directly on top of the head of Caleb Sturgis, who collapsed to the ground.

PHILADELPHIA >> The last thought to go through the head of Caleb Sturgis before the lights went out Thursday night was his kickoff.

During the followthrough Dirk Johnson’s punt dropped out of the sky and directly on top of the head of Sturgis, who collapsed to the ground.

Eagles teammates rushed over to help and ultimately he was scratched from the preseason game versus the Steelers due to a head injury.

“It didn’t feel good,” Sturgis said Monday. “I don’t think the ball was point down but it was like somebody dropped a weight on your head.”

Sturgis said it was his first concussion. Hardest he’s ever been hit in a game?

“In the head, yeah,” Sturgis said. “I’m going to start wearing a helmet. It’s probably smart. If I’m on the field I’ll be wearing a helmet now.”

Sturgis also said the NFL’s new policy on concussions was the only thing keeping him out of action.

“I think we’re at a time when they take it so seriously,” said Sturgis, who was cleared to practice Monday. “For me I think I probably would have been fine to go out there and kick. I don’t get hit in the head often but they’re very cautious about it.”

Jones is happy Sturgis is OK and back to work. Professionally he hopes the “freak deal” doesn’t impact the kicking competition between Sturgis and Cody Parkey.

“I thought I’d seen it all,” Jones said. “Apparently not. This was a first. It’s a freak deal, man, to get caught square in the head like that. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the pregame. That was really weird. I knew as soon as it hit him and he fell that he was hurt. I felt horrible because guys are competing for a job and that’s an opportunity he missed to go out and perform. So I really felt bad about it. But we had a good laugh about it earlier today. Really that’s all you can do now. “I’m just glad he’s OK.” It’s not known how the Eagles feel about the kicking competition.

To several observers, however, Sturgis is in the lead.

“I’ve come in here and done what I want to do,” Sturgis said. “I’ll just keep working on it. Keep getting better. This is the most comfortable I’ve been. I think I’m hitting the ball well.”

Jones, 36, also is hitting the ball well. Though the punt shelving Sturgis was the first time he dropped one on someone’s head in pre-game, it wasn’t the first time he nailed a player in warm-ups.

When the Cardinals were at the Linc for a game in the 2013 season, Johnson said he yelled to caution players in goal line at the other end of the stadium.

“I told them ‘heads up’ and they didn’t want to move,” Johnson said. “So, one guy got caught in the shoulder. He started yelling. We were yelling back and forth and then like one of their linemen charges. So it was Jon (Dorenbos) and I and Alex Henery, who just kind of somehow disappeared. So it was me and Jon and this massive guy. Then their special teams coach started yelling at us. We started yelling at him.”

Johnson was “kind of nervous” once the game started as he wondered if there would be retribution. Thankfully it didn’t happen.

But Johnson, after the Sturgis hit, clearly is a changed man going forward in pregame.