HOUSTON (AP) - Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden remains in ``stable yet critical'' condition after tearing a vein during a collision with a teammate during practice.

Team physician Dr. Walter Lowe said in a statement from the school Thursday that the senior was taken by ambulance Tuesday to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He had immediate surgery for a tear of the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from the lower half of the body to the heart.

Lowe says that kind of injury is fatal ``95 percent'' of the time and is associated with high-speed car accidents.

Hayden leads Conference USA with four interceptions. He had returns for touchdowns in consecutive games against SMU and UTEP earlier this season.