A National Football League preseason game ended abruptly last weekend and turned into a moment of prayer after a player was seriously injured and ambulanced off the field.
Video footage from last Friday’s game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta shows players from both teams gathered in prayer on the field after an ambulance arrived to provide medical treatment to injured Lions cornerback Morice Norris.
Norris, 24, was assisting in a tackle early in the fourth quarter when his facemask hit a Falcon running back’s midsection and caused his head to snap backward.
In the immediate aftermath of Norris’ injury, his teammates as well as some of the Lions’ coaching staff gathered in prayer on the field as the game was paused.
While the clock resumed shortly thereafter, and it initially appeared as if the competition was going to continue, the game ultimately took a different direction as players on both teams huddled on the field and gathered in prayer. They also exchanged hugs. The show of unity between the two teams prompted the audience to erupt into applause.
At the time the prayer broke out, the Lions were leading the Falcons 17-10 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The game was suspended, and the score became final.
At a press conference after the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell declared that the team’s “thoughts and prayers are with Mo Norris.”
“We’re just praying for Mo,” Campbell said. “I asked [that] everybody prays for him.”
Campbell told reporters that Norris was breathing and talking before he was asked why they decided to suspend the game.
“Morice Norris is a class act,” Campbell responded. “We agreed that it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”
Elaborating on the conversation he had with his team in the immediate aftermath of Norris’ injury, Campbell said he “told them to pray for him because at that point, we didn’t have much.”
“He was breathing, so I shared that and said, ‘Please pray for him,’ and I told them, ‘we’re taking knees.'”
“We’re going to take knees for the rest of the game; they are and we are until this thing is over,” he told his players, referring to the Falcons.
An update posted to the Lions’ X account on Friday night indicated that Norris “was in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities.” After noting that he would remain hospitalized overnight for observation, the team expressed gratitude to the Falcons as well as the medical staff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the hospital staff.
At a press conference on Monday, Campbell announced that Norris is “back with us” and “doing well.” He clarified that Norris was “in concussion protocol,” vowing that “We’re going to take it easy here and make sure that he’s good” over the next two weeks.
While Morris did not post about his injury on his X account, he identified as a man of faith in a post published Sunday.
“God is amazing, never forget to give him praise,” the former Fresno State University standout said.
Morris provided a detailed reflection of his injury on his Instagram account on Monday.
“God is truly amazing, starting this journey I put my complete faith in him walked the path he has already pre set for me without fear. I will forever be grateful for the trials and obstacles he places in front of me because I know I have nothing to fear,” he wrote. “I wanna thank everyone for the prayers and both organizations for how they helped me and my family as well. I’m just a kid who wants to play ball and you all will see me playing again real soon so have no fear God is with me.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
