The Detroit Lions‘ preseason game came to a halt as football became a secondary focus.
Lions’ second-year defensive back Morice Norris suffered an injury attempting to make a tackle on Atlanta Falcons running back Nathan Carter. Norris was immediately tended to by training staff and eventually taken off the field on a stretcher in an ambulance.
Lions coach Dan Campbell and Falcons coach Raheem Morris decided not to continue play after Norris was carted off the field. After the game, Campbell called Morris a “class act,”
The game between the Lions and Falcons was officially suspended with 6:19 remaining, but the Falcons snapped the ball with 14:30 remaining in the fourth quarter and held the ball. Players on the field from both teams joined together in prayer while the clock was running down.
According to the team, Norris was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. The Lions’ TV Network broadcast reported that the defensive back was blinking his eyes when he was being placed in the ambulence.
Campbell told reporters after the game that the defensive back was breathing and talking and had some movement. Norris’ mother is with him at the hospital.
Norris, a 24-year-old, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent last season and appeared in two regular season games plus the team’s Divisional Round game against the Washington Commanders last season.
The exact diagnosis of Norris’ injury is currently unknown, as he is expected to undergo further tests throughout Friday night.
“He’s breathing, he’s talking,” Campbell said. “That’s good. He’s got some movement. Now, they’re running more tests.”
Lions backup quarterback Kyle Allen, who entered in the second quarter and played the remainder of the game, echoed that the team was praying for the young defensive back in what was an emotional end to the game.
“The risk of football is injury and going out there and laying your body on the line, but you don’t sign up for stuff like that and it’s terrible,” Allen said. “So everybody’s praying for Mo. From what we’ve heard, it’s positive things from how bad it was on the field, but it’s just terrible.”
In the final moments of the game and after it was officially suspended, several Lions players took to social media to share support for their injured teammate.
