NFL Referee Carted Off Field in London After Suffering Leg Injury
Larry Smith sustained a non-contact injury during the first quarter of the Texans-Jaguars game at Wembley Stadium.
NFL referee Larry Smith was taken off the field on a medical cart Sunday after appearing to sustain a serious leg injury during the first half of the Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game in London. Smith, the main referee for the contest at Wembley Stadium, collapsed to the turf in apparent agony during the first quarter.
Video footage of the incident shows Smith slipping on the wet turf, resulting in a non-contact leg injury. After falling, he attempted to stand but immediately recoiled in pain and fell back to the ground, where he was surrounded by players. Medics then attended to him on the field.
As he was being loaded onto the cart, Smith removed his cap and raised it to the applauding fans. The game continued with six officials instead of the usual seven, with Shawn Hochuli reportedly taking on many of Smith's duties.
Smith, a longtime Big Ten official who joined the NFL last season, also serves as the principal of a middle school in Kansas. The Texans eventually took a 10-point lead over the Jaguars in the second half, with Jaylin Noel catching a touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud. For Jacksonville, running back Bhayshul Tuten scored two touchdowns.
