NFL Referee Suddenly Falls to Ground, Gets Carted off Field
NFL referee Larry Smith had a Sunday no player wants to experience.
Though he didn’t fumble, throw an interception, or miss a tackle with the game on the line, he was carted off the field with an injury.
In last Sunday’s Houston Texans versus Jacksonville Jaguars game from London, Smith could be seen falling near midfield when attempting to field and then spot the ball between plays. The ref then hopped back up, attempted to walk a few steps and was sent back to the ground almost immediately. Smith did so on what was unquestionably wet grass inside of Wembley Stadium. His fellow referees rushed over to assist and, before long, he was being carted off the field with a leg injury.
The injury stopped the game and prompted another one of the game’s referees, line judge Carl Johnson, to remove his cap and take a knee while Smith was being attended to by medical personnel.
You can watch Smith’s injury below.
As it turns out, the second-year NFL umpire’s injury was quite a bit more serious than a standard slip and fall. Sources tell Football Zebras that Smith tore his quadriceps muscle and will miss the remainder of the NFL season.
The league’s officiating department has not commented on Smith’s injury.
Smith is a relative newcomer to the NFL. This season is just his second in the league, though he’s spent several seasons working at the college level for both the Big Ten and Mid-American conferences. Per Football Zebras, Smith also officiated the 2023 USFL Championship Game.
Prior to his injury, Smith had been working games as part of Shawn Hochuli’s crew. He’ll now have to be replaced for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.
In addition to refereeing, Smith works as a middle school principal in the Kansas City area.
