LARRY SMITH LEAVES TEXANS-JAGUARS GAME AFTER FALL

Umpire Larry Smith left the Jacksonville Jaguars’ NFL game against the Houston Texans on a cart after slipping on wet grass at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday. Smith fell between plays in the first quarter as he jogged to retrieve the ball following a run by Trevor Lawrence. He tried to stand, then fell again, with an apparent injury to his left leg. Trainers from both teams attended to him before staff took him off the field. Smith waved his cap to the crowd as he left.

The Texans and Jaguars were level at 0-0 when Smith left the field. Smith joined the NFL in 2025, and Sunday’s game was his 22nd as a league official. He previously officiated in NCAA Division I, the Big Ten and the USFL. Smith also works as a school principal in Kansas City, Kansas. He was principal at Arrowhead Middle School when he joined the NFL.

An NFL officiating crew normally has seven members, including the umpire and the referee. The league has a six-official arrangement for games in which an official cannot continue. Under that arrangement, the referee takes on more of the umpire’s responsibilities. The remaining officials adjust their positions to cover the smaller crew.