Cal RB Best resting at home

BERKELEY, Calif. — California star tailback Jahvid Best is resting at home following his frightening fall and concussion, and the team has not talked about when he could possibly return to the football field.

"That's the furthest thing from our mind, when he's going to come back and play football," coach Jeff Tedford said Tuesday. "The No. 1 concern is his health and his well-being. If he doesn't play again this year, so be it. We haven't even discussed that and will not discuss it until probably much later on."

The Golden Bears (6-3, 3-3 Pac-10) host No. 18 Arizona on Saturday before finishing the season with road games at Stanford and Washington.

Best was injured in Saturday's 31-14 loss to Oregon State when he hurdled a defender at the end of a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Best vaulted into the air over Oregon State safety Cameron Collins and then was bumped even higher by another defender before falling on his back and head from about 8 feet in the air. Best's helmet came off on impact and he briefly lost consciousness, dealing a chilling scare to his teammates.

"I saw him in the air and first I marveled at how high he was, then I realized his body would fall down the way it did," fullback Brian Holley said. "As soon as I looked at his face, I realized something wasn't right."

Best's jersey was removed, and he was wearing an oxygen mask when taken from the stadium. He spent Saturday night in the hospital for tests and observation before returning to his parents' home in Vallejo on Sunday.

Tedford said Best told him earlier Tuesday that he is feeling better but still has a sore back and some headaches.

None of Best's teammates have seen him since he left the field on a stretcher, communicating mostly by text message these last few days as he recovers.

"You're just worried about the person, you don't really care about the football player," linebacker Eddie Young said. "You just worry about him being able to bounce back and get healthy. I just want Jahvid Best the person, not No. 4 to be better."

Backup Shane Vereen has talked to Best a few times on the phone, making sure his close friend is doing fine and is encouraged by what he hears.

"He seems to be the same old Jahvid," Vereen said. "I'm sure he's bummed he won't be able to play. But he doesn't seem that down. He seems like himself."

As big a loss as Best is on the field, where he has scored 16 touchdowns, rushed for 867 yards and provided highlight-reel plays almost every week, his loss is felt even more off of it.