NFL Line Judge Prays for Collapsed Umpire in London Game
The act of sportsmanship offered a moment of compassion amid recent scrutiny of NFL officiating.
During the first quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars versus Houston Texans game in London, NFL umpire Larry Smith collapsed on the field after appearing to suffer a lower-leg injury. As trainers attended to Smith, line judge Carl Johnson removed his cap, took a knee, and appeared to pray for his colleague.
The incident occurred at Wembley Stadium as Smith was changing the ball out after a play. He initially got back up but then collapsed again, with one of his knees appearing to buckle. Smith was eventually taken off the field on a cart.
The officiating crew continued the game with six officials instead of the standard seven. The moment of compassion from Johnson came after a period of intense criticism and scrutiny for NFL officials, including suspensions following incidents involving Jeff Seeman and Adrian Hill.
The NFL has recently faced controversy regarding officiating conduct. On October 5, line judge Jeff Seeman was reportedly suspended for cursing at Arizona tight end Trey McBride, and official Adrian Hill was involved in confrontational behavior during a Minnesota Vikings game. These events have drawn attention to the conduct of referees off and on the field.