Baltimore Ravens Norwegian kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik hospitalized after assault

| American Football | 09/06/2018

Norwegian kicker and punter Kaare Vedvik who has played for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL 2018 preseason, suffered  wounds to his upper body and head this past weekend and is receiving treatment at R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, the team and police confirmed.

Emergency officials said in a statement Vedvik was found around 4 a.m. Saturday in East Baltimore. The origin of his injuries is unknown although it is suspected he was assaulted and robbed. A spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, though, told the Baltimore Sun: “The reality is it’s very difficult to piece it together at this stage.” The spokesman, T.J. Smith, said that authorities viewed the incident as an assault mostly “through logic and reason,” because they have neither a witness nor “anyone who is confirming an assault actually occurred.”

The Ravens placed Vedvik on the reserve/non-football injury list.

The 24 year old Vedvik, who once had a  92 yard punt while playing for Marshall University. grew up in Norway and attended high school in Kansas as an exchange student. He was a soccer player as a child and picked up place kicking at age 17. He played football for Marshall then earned a tryout with the Ravens.

Though Vedvik wasn’t expected to replace Justin Tucker as the team’s kicker, he did submit an impressive performance during the preseason as both a punter and a kicker. In the team’s preseason finale Thursday, he made all three of his field goals — including one from 56 yards — in addition to three extra points. He also punted five times for 212 yards (42.4 yards per punt). During his final season at Marshall, Vedvik, who is from Norway, averaged 44 yards per punt and made 10 of 16 field goals.

He was not likely to make the Ravens’ roster. Baltimore’s place kicker, Justin Tucker, and punter, Sam Koch, are among the NFL’s best.

Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday (via ESPN) that he and Ravens’ head of security, Darren Sanders, visited Vedvik in the hospital Sunday, describing the player as having a face that was swollen and “kind of stitched up.” Harbaugh said the Ravens were “just grateful” and Vedvik “very thankful” that he was “okay,” adding, “He’s going to be fine. That’s the most important thing.”

However, Harbaugh also asserted that the incident had cost Vedvik “a chance to kick in this league.”

Vedvik was placed on the Ravens’ non-football injury list. He will be able to use the team’s facility to train when recovers.

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