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Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock said he never intended to hurt Grant Dubose when he delivered a hit that ultimately sent the Miami Dolphins wide receiver to the hospital on Sunday.

About midway through the third quarter with the Dolphins trailing 20-6 at NRG Stadium, Dubose caught a pass across the middle from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. That’s when he was leveled by Bullock, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

“First off, my intentions was never to go out there and hurt nobody,” Bullock told reporters after the game. “That’s never our intentions. Prayers to him and his family. I hope he’s good. I just was seeing the ball and was breaking on the ball. It just happened to be one of those plays.”

Dubose laid motionless on the ground as medical staff rushed to his aid, cut off his jersey and unscrewed his face mask. After more than 12 minutes of game delay, personnel placed the 23-year-old on a board and stretcher and carted him off the field. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

The team later announced that Dubose suffered a head injury and was in stable condition. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters there was “positive feedback” following the receiver’s head and neck scans, although he will stay in the hospital overnight.

“That’s a good start right there,” he said. “I’m happy for him. Like I said, I was praying for him and hoping he was going to be okay.”

Still, Bullock lamented the challenges for defensive players around the league.

“It’s very difficult for a defensive player because we are trying to think about protecting them,” he said. “But we are also thinking of protecting ourselves at the end of the day. At the end of the day, it’s still a violent game.”

Bullock’s hit to DuBose comes just two weeks after his teammate, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, was suspended for three games after an illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

It’s worth noting, though, that Al-Shaair’s repeated violations of player safety rules played a role in his suspension. Bullock, a rookie out of USC, has never been fined or suspended.