Terrifying moment Super Bowl referee is flattened after player smashes into him on the sideline
This is the terrifying moment an NFL referee crashed onto the field during the first half of Sunday night’s Super Bowl.
The unpleasant incident, which occurred with 9:58 left in the second quarter of the game, caused players to rush to the aid of the injured referee on the Seahawks sideline.
NBC’s TV broadcast, watched by more than 100 million people worldwide, captured the moment the referee’s shoulder hit the ground and the shot was fired.
He then landed on his front and somehow managed to jump up as players began running to help him after the terrifying moment.
It’s unclear exactly who was hit, as the Patriots’ 6-foot-1, 221-lb receiver Mack Hollins and the Seahawks’ 6-foot-1, 195-lb safety were both involved in the play right next to the sideline.
Fans on social media were quick to react to the moment, with one viewer writing: ‘This NFL referee WON AWESOME.’
Another joked that the player was ‘trying to put his referee in concussion protocol’, while a third simply claimed: ‘Wow!!!’
In the game itself, the Seahawks gained an early foothold but there was no goal in sight and both offenses struggled to get going.
Seattle scored two early goals and took a 6-0 lead at the two-minute warning in the first half.
