Rider stepped on by bull suffered severe injuries, faces another surgery

Jack Nowlin and Joshua Wolfson Star-Tribune staff writers Jun 16, 2017 Updated 45 min ago

Bull rider Bradie Gray suffered life threatening injuries when a bull stepped on him Thursday at the College National Finals Rodeo and he arrived at the hospital with no heartbeat, his coach said.

When Gray arrived at the Wyoming Medical Center both of his lungs were collapsed, he had broken ribs “in two or three places,” and a bruised aorta, said Odessa College rodeo coach C.J. Aragon said. ... Doctors were able to treat injuries to Gray’s aorta and stabilize him. He required six pints of blood.

“He’s not doing real good,” Odessa College rodeo coach C.J. Aragon said. “When he got to the hospital last night he had no pulse, no heartbeat and no blood pressure. One of the doctors told me last night that there was a 60 percent chance that he wasn’t going to come out (of the hospital) alive.” ... Gray underwent emergency surgery at Wyoming Medical Center, the Odessa College Rodeo Team wrote on its Facebook page shortly before 4 a.m. Friday.
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The 5-foot-9 Gray has suffered numerous significant injuries during his college rodeo career. He broke his back his first season, broke his jaw twice during his sophomore season and tore his groin in half and broke his collarbone this season. This college finals was his first rodeo since having surgery on his collarbone six weeks ago. All the injuries came from bull riding.
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Star-Tribune staff writer Brandon Foster contributed to this report.

Follow sports editor Jack Nowlin on Twitter @CASJackN

Jack Nowlin is sports editor of the Star-Tribune.