Umpire Larry Smith collapsed during the first quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars-Houston Texans game at Wembley Stadium in London, prompting fellow official Carl Johnson to kneel beside him as medical personnel responded.
Smith had slipped on the stadium turf while changing the ball after a play. He stood up without assistance, then went down again, with the source report noting that one knee appeared to give way. Trainers came onto the field to treat him.
As Smith received attention, line judge Johnson approached, removed his cap and knelt. He appeared to pray for Smith, according to the account. The moment offered a personal response from one member of the officiating crew as another was being treated.
Smith was taken from the field on a cart. An NFL Network report cited in the source said he had a lower-leg injury. The supplied report did not provide further details about the severity of the injury or Smith’s subsequent condition.
The game continued with a reduced officiating crew. The officials adjusted their positions to work with six people rather than the standard seven.
The incident came amid scrutiny of NFL officials, including two suspensions reported in the source as occurring on October 5. Referee Jeff Seeman was suspended after cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, while referee Adrian Hill was suspended over confrontational behavior during a Minnesota Vikings game. Those matters were separate from Smith’s collapse in London.
The episode also echoed instances described in the source in which NFL players had knelt to pray after teammates were injured, including injuries involving Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Packers receiver Jayden Reed. Johnson’s actions were notable because they came from one official toward a colleague rather than from players toward a teammate.
