RB Mike Goodson (neck) still sore

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NAPA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson says his neck is still sore after taking a hard hit that sent him to the hospital earlier in the week but is relieved there is nothing more serious wrong with him.

"It's kind of like having a crick in your neck when you wake up in the morning or something like that," he said Friday. "A little more intense than that, but that's pretty much it."

Goodson was back out at the practice field for the Raiders for the first time Friday since being taken by ambulance to the hospital three days earlier after being hit by teammate Philip Wheeler.

Goodson rode an exercise bike during part of practice and then watched the rest with his teammates on the field. Goodson said he has not been given a target date for when he can practice again, but looks forward to getting on the field as soon as he is cleared by doctors.

"I'm starting to feel like myself again," he said. "As soon as they give me the green light to go I'm going to be ready to go."

Goodson was taken away from practice Tuesday by ambulance with a neck injury after an on-field collision with Wheeler. The 25-year-old Goodson lay prone on the turf for about 15 minutes as teammates and trainers rushed over and said he couldn't get up or feel his neck at first.

Paramedics and firefighters arrived shortly thereafter, and Goodson was able to move his legs and arms. A CT scan and MRI both came back negative, and Goodson was able to return to the team hotel that night.

"Sitting in that bed, man, them telling me not to move and stuff is pretty difficult for an athlete," he said. "But once it came back and they said everything was negative it made me feel good."

The Raiders acquired Goodson in March from Carolina in a trade for offensive lineman Bruce Campbell. He is being counted on to compete with Taiwan Jones to be the backup to star Darren McFadden.

Goodson rushed 125 times for 501 yards and three touchdowns and added 43 receptions for 329 yards in three seasons with the Panthers. Goodson had three straight 100-yard rushing games and three touchdowns late in the 2010 season under former coach John Fox in 2010.

But he didn't have any carries last year under new coach Ron Rivera and caught one pass for four yards.

Notes: S Tyvon Branch missed practice after having a back spasm earlier in the day. ... TE Brandon Myers (shoulder), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (knee) and T Zach Hurd (head) all left early with injuries. ... LB Aaron Curry, who is on the physically unable to perform list because of a knee injury, left the team to see a specialist in Los Angeles because he is not healing as quickly as he hoped. ... Coach Dennis Allen was disappointed in the team's first practice after an off-day Thursday. "I thought our focus wasn't there, I didn't think the tempo was there. I thought the guys tried to battle through, but we got to practice better with less mistakes than we did today," he said. ... Backup K Eddy Carmona hit the upright four times in a span of five FG attempts near the end of practice.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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