Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris was blinking his eyes as he was being taken off the field in an ambulance after suffering a head injury in the pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday.
What further contributed to the Lions fans' relief was coach Dan Campbell's statement which confirmed that Norris is breathing and showing some movements. He is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, the PR team of Detroit Lions confirmed.
"We got some positive information on him. I’ll have to just leave it at that,” Campbell said, confirming that Morris is breathing and showing improvements.
Morice Norris was injured in the first play of the fourth quarter of the preseason game in Atlanta on Friday. As per reports, the injury was likely to his head or neck. At this moment, further details of Norris' injury are not known.
After the injury, the Falcons and the Lions mutually decided to suspend the game by running down the clock. Campbell described the Atlanta Falcons' coordination on the matter with them as a "class act." He revealed that the Falcons coach, Raheen Morris, and his players immediately agreed to take to a knee as Morice Norris fell to the ground after the tackle.
Also read: Morice Norris family: Who is mother Francina Pleasant; who are his siblings
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Morice Norris family: Who is mother Francina Pleasant; who are his siblings
{{/usCountry}}“I told them we are taking knees, they are, and we are until this thing is over,” Campbell said. “Raheem Morris is a class act. He is the ultimate class act. We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish the game.”
Raheen Morris, meanwhile, said that he and the Falcons are praying for the fast recovery of Morris. He added that they are not worried about a possible backlash from the National Football League about running down the clock.
“You just have to pray for Morice Norris and his family,” Morris said.
“It's not in my thoughts right now," he added, on the league potentially taking action against them and the Lions. “My thoughts are about Morice Norris and his family. That's all.”