KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin was in serious but stable condition Monday with a fractured skull and other head injuries following a fight outside a downtown Seattle nightclub.
Hamlin's injuries included a small blood clot and bruising of the brain tissue. He was to remain in intensive care for the next day or two, team physician Stan Herring said.
"Right now, Ken is awake intermittently and talking to us," Herring said. "There is no evidence of brain damage, in that regard. We are going to need more time to see if there is residual problems from bruising of his brain."
He said the most pressing concern whether the blood clot grows.
The Seahawks' starting free safety was involved in an altercation with two men who were not in custody, police said.
According to a police report, Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving Larry's Nightclub in the Pioneer Square section of Seattle at about 2 a.m. Monday, several hours after the Seahawks defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday night.
The girlfriend told officers that Hamlin placed his hand on another man's back and said, "Excuse me." The man told Hamlin to stop pushing, and the two men began shoving each other.
According to the report, Hamlin then punched the man in the face; Herring said Hamlin has a fractured right hand. Another man struck Hamlin with his forearm, knocking him down, before the two men began fighting with other men nearby. Other witnesses told police one of the men hit Hamlin twice in the torso with some sort of magnetic street sign.
Witnesses provided the names of two men to police but there had been no arrests, Seattle police spokeswoman Debra Brown said Monday.
The club's owner, Larry Culp, said his security guards kept Hamlin separated from the two suspects outside for about 15 minutes as the bar was emptying at closing time. He said guards tried to restrain Hamlin several times and the other man started to back down, but "as the head of my security team turned his head, [Hamlin] went after him."
"He had plenty of chances to walk away from this incident," Culp said, adding Hamlin "went out of his way" to provoke a fight.
Culp released a security videotape showing Hamlin breaking free from club security guards and pursuing the suspects after the initial altercation subsided.
Hamlin was found lying in an intersection outside the club a few blocks north of Qwest Field, surrounded by a crowd of people.
Hamlin told the officers he was in a lot of pain, and when asked what happened, he said, "I don't remember."
The report said Hamlin did not appear intoxicated.
"The only difficulty I have with this is, it's such a waste," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "It seems rather pointless. It's not like you are playing a football game and all of a sudden you get hit and you get injured.
"It's one of those things that shouldn't have happened," he said.
Holmgren talked to his team about it in an afternoon meeting. The NFC West-leading Seahawks then said a team prayer for Hamlin.
More than one player said they were "shocked."
"It's pretty tough," said cornerback Marcus Trufant. "I'm very concerned about his health and I'm just hoping and praying that everything goes well."
"I think most of us are just really worried for him," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "You realize that the choices you make are important and there are consequences to some decisions -- and that off-the-field issues are very important."
Holmgren said Marquand Manuel, a fourth-year veteran from Florida, will replace Hamlin and make his first career start Sunday against Dallas.
Hamlin, a third-year veteran from Arkansas, had five tackles in Seattle's 42-10 win.
Hamlin's injuries included a small blood clot and bruising of the brain tissue. He was to remain in intensive care for the next day or two, team physician Stan Herring said.
"Right now, Ken is awake intermittently and talking to us," Herring said. "There is no evidence of brain damage, in that regard. We are going to need more time to see if there is residual problems from bruising of his brain."
He said the most pressing concern whether the blood clot grows.
The Seahawks' starting free safety was involved in an altercation with two men who were not in custody, police said.
According to a police report, Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving Larry's Nightclub in the Pioneer Square section of Seattle at about 2 a.m. Monday, several hours after the Seahawks defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday night.
The girlfriend told officers that Hamlin placed his hand on another man's back and said, "Excuse me." The man told Hamlin to stop pushing, and the two men began shoving each other.
According to the report, Hamlin then punched the man in the face; Herring said Hamlin has a fractured right hand. Another man struck Hamlin with his forearm, knocking him down, before the two men began fighting with other men nearby. Other witnesses told police one of the men hit Hamlin twice in the torso with some sort of magnetic street sign.
Witnesses provided the names of two men to police but there had been no arrests, Seattle police spokeswoman Debra Brown said Monday.
The club's owner, Larry Culp, said his security guards kept Hamlin separated from the two suspects outside for about 15 minutes as the bar was emptying at closing time. He said guards tried to restrain Hamlin several times and the other man started to back down, but "as the head of my security team turned his head, [Hamlin] went after him."
"He had plenty of chances to walk away from this incident," Culp said, adding Hamlin "went out of his way" to provoke a fight.
Culp released a security videotape showing Hamlin breaking free from club security guards and pursuing the suspects after the initial altercation subsided.
Hamlin was found lying in an intersection outside the club a few blocks north of Qwest Field, surrounded by a crowd of people.
Hamlin told the officers he was in a lot of pain, and when asked what happened, he said, "I don't remember."
The report said Hamlin did not appear intoxicated.
"The only difficulty I have with this is, it's such a waste," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "It seems rather pointless. It's not like you are playing a football game and all of a sudden you get hit and you get injured.
"It's one of those things that shouldn't have happened," he said.
Holmgren talked to his team about it in an afternoon meeting. The NFC West-leading Seahawks then said a team prayer for Hamlin.
More than one player said they were "shocked."
"It's pretty tough," said cornerback Marcus Trufant. "I'm very concerned about his health and I'm just hoping and praying that everything goes well."
"I think most of us are just really worried for him," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "You realize that the choices you make are important and there are consequences to some decisions -- and that off-the-field issues are very important."
Holmgren said Marquand Manuel, a fourth-year veteran from Florida, will replace Hamlin and make his first career start Sunday against Dallas.
Hamlin, a third-year veteran from Arkansas, had five tackles in Seattle's 42-10 win.
