McKennon Wimberly’s wreck last weekend while trying to ride the bull MoeBandy.com was one of the worst head-to-head collisions I’ve seen behind bull and bull rider.

Wimberly, 22, of Cool, Texas, was competing in the short round of the Anaheim (Calif.) Invitational, a Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough series event. The son of five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Joe Wimberly, McKennon is one of the outstanding young guns in the sport.

He also is one of those cowboys that chooses to wear protective headgear. But in Anaheim, the lacrosse-style helmet took the brunt of just one of two blows to McKennon’s head. With the first hit, the headgear flew off; but MoeBandy.com’s bucking motion brought McKennon back down just as the bull’s head came up. The sound of the two skulls smacking was simply scary.

McKennon was knocked out. He suffered a concussion and a broken jaw, the latter of which was surgically repaired Thursday at UC-Irvine Medical Center. Teenage stock contractor Mesa Pate reported Thursday on a blog posted on pbr.com that McKennon came through surgery well and that doctors were pleased.

“Now it’s just a waiting game,” she wrote. “McKennon suffered serious trauma to his head and isn’t quite ready to wake up yet.”

My prayers go out to McKennon, his family and his friends. He’s a great bull rider.

But what’s more important, he’s an outstanding young man.