ATLANTA -- Detroit Lions defensive back Morice Norris has been transported to a local hospital, where he will undergo further evaluation.
“Morice Norris is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities,” the Lions said in their latest update. “He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation.”
Dan Campbell did not have any specifics regarding the nature of the injury. But the Lions coach said they received some positive early feedback, which was later confirmed by the latest team statement.
“Obviously, thoughts and prayers for Mo Norris,” Campbell told reporters after the game was suspended. “We got some positive information on him. He’s at the hospital. I’ll have to just leave it at that. But, obviously, when something like that happens, it puts things into perspective. We’re just praying for Mo. I ask that everybody prays for him.”
Campbell said Norris was breathing, talking and had some movement. He added that Norris’ mother is with him at the hospital, and some members of the Lions are staying behind to check on him.
Norris suffered an injury on the first play of the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. He was removed from the field by medical personnel via ambulance after taking a knee to the facemask while trying to tackle Falcons running back Nathan Carter.
The second-year defensive back was down on the field for about 20 minutes as both teams took a knee and watched on during the scary scene.
When play eventually resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones snapped and held the ball in the backfield as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage as the clock continued to run. After the clock ran down to 6:31 left in the fourth quarter, as both teams continued to console one another, officials announced the game had been suspended.
The NFL’s official gamebook lists the final play of the game as the one where Norris was injured with 14:50 left on the clock. The Lions were leading 17-10 when officials finally suspended the game after an emotional scene in Atlanta.
“It’s an eye-opener. It’s just an eye opener,” Campbell said. “It hits a little different. It puts things into perspective. Man, it’s a violent game. And we love it. But when something like this happens, the silver lining is man, the brotherhood. To see all those guys from that team and our team kind of come together. And everybody is thinking about another player. It just means a lot.”
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