Browns LB Owusu-Koramoah suffers 'scary' neck injury, will spend night in hospital as precaution

CLEVELAND (AP) — For the second week in a row, the Cleveland Browns gathered on the field and encircled a seriously injured teammate.

Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had to be immobilized and carted off the field Sunday after injuring his neck while making a tackle in the third quarter of Cleveland's 29-24 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.

Owusu-Koramoah got hurt at the end of a play when he took the brunt of a blow as he tried to tackle Ravens running back Derrick Henry.

A team spokesman said Owusu-Koramoah, in his fourth season out of Notre Dame, had movement in his arms and legs when he was taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He will be kept overnight as a precaution, the team said.

Owusu-Koramoah, who was wearing a Guardian Cap over his helmet, raised a fist as he was being driven to the tunnel in Huntington Bank Field, a moment that brought some relief to fans of the Browns.

The sight of Owusu-Koramoah, the team's leading tackler, having his face mask removed and being strapped to a backboard was upsetting to the Browns.

“That's one of my best friends on the team,” defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo said. “To see him down, hurt me. All I can do is pray and play for him.”

“Very scary anytime that happens,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.

A week ago, the Browns lost quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon on a running play.

Browns star end Myles Garrett said he spoke briefly with Owusu-Koramoah before he was taken away.

“I saw the hit as it happened,” Garrett said. “It was a violent collision and two strong, powerful men. I think JOK just went low, caught him on the side of the head a little bit and kind of whipped his head back. It's part of the game.”

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward was placed in concussion protocol following the game. This is the sixth documented concussion while in the NFL for Ward, a three-time Pro Bowler and first-round draft pick from Ohio State.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) cuts past Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) is checked on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) is taken off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) is taken off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish prosecutors are studying allegations that Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The Spanish prosecutors’ office told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the allegations were related to media reports from earlier this week that alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked in his Caribbean residences between January and October 2021.

Iglesias has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations. Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client on his website, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by the AP.

The Spanish prosecutors’ office that handles cases for Spain’s National Court said that it had received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court’s press office.

Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint investigation into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.

Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said that the media reports regarding Iglesias “demanded respect.”

“Once again I can reaffirm this government’s firm and complete commitment to take on any act of violence, harassment or aggression against women,” Saiz said Tuesday after the media reports were published.

Panky Corcino, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office in the Dominican Republic, declined to comment, saying he couldn't confirm or deny an investigation.

By law, any case in the Caribbean country that involves sexual aggression or violence must be investigated by prosecutors, even if no one has filed a complaint.

The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists after having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, he won immense popularity in the United States and wider world in the 1970s and ‘80s. He’s the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.

Julio Iglesias won a 1988 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.

Suman Naishadham in Madrid, and Martín Adames in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, contributed to this report.

FILE - Spanish singer Julio Iglesias smiles during his star unveiling ceremony at the Walk of Fame in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, file)