One NFL referee is in some serious trouble after reports have leaked that he tried to continue the Detroit Lions – Atlanta Falcons pre-season game early in the fourth quarter. Morice Norris had just been carted off the field and players were actively praying in the middle of the field.
Here is what we know.
“He Demanded It Continues” NFL Referee In Serious Trouble After Trying To Continue Lions-Falcons Pre-Season Game
The NFL did not order the call off of Friday’s preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons after Morice Norris suffered an injury on the field that sent him into convulsions:
The Lions safety came off a tackle worse for wear as he initiated contact that caused his head to snap back.
It was immediately clear that the player needed speedy medical attention, and he was eventually taken to a hospital via ambulance.
The game was suspended after an early fourth-quarter delay, though Falcons head coach Raheem Morris admitted to reporters that he was not aware of whether the league approved of it.
Campbell explained the decision to reporters on Monday, revealing that referee Shawn Hochuli let them know the game was still on, but the two coaches said they would take a knee for the rest of the outing if they were made to continue playing.
“So, Raheem and I agreed that that was what we were gonna do,” he said, per ProFootballTalk. “We talked to, you know, [referee] Shawn Hochuli, [he] let us know the game is still on, and we communicated with each other. We told Shawn we’ll be taking knees and he said, ‘I understand,’ and that’s the way it went. And then the game was called.”
Given what the coaches saw, the call was the right one.
Fortunately, the injury wasn’t as bad as first feared, and Norris allayed concerns via social media the following morning. Still, there was no way of knowing he would be okay after watching him go into a seizure on the ground.
The fact that this was a preseason game made the decision even easier.
Once the refs realized that there would be no more football even if the clock resumed, they, too, did the right thing.
