Matthew Stafford Appears To Walk Away From Photographer Who Falls, Breaks Spine

Ron Dicker
Updated ·2 min read
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appeared to turn his back on a photographer who was seriously hurt falling off the stage at the team’s Super Bowl victory party on Wednesday. (Watch the video below.)

The woman, identified as sports photographer Kelly Smiley, said on Twitter that she fractured her spine. A GoFundMe page was set up to help with her recuperation.

In video rapidly making the rounds, Stafford is seen on stage at the LA Memorial Coliseum as the photographer plummets below. “Oh my,” Stafford appears to say before turning, taking a swig of water and walking away.

His stunned wife, Kelly, meanwhile, turns her attention to the fallen photographer. The clip then cuts away. It’s unclear whether Stafford returned.

Stafford swigged tequila during the parade and even took a ribbing from last year’s Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, who was mocked for getting so drunk at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory boat parade that he required assistance to walk.

“Mix in a water Matt...trust me,” Brady wrote on Twitter.

The onstage accident put a damper on the revelry. Bleacher Report wrote that Smiley was taking photos of Stafford when she fell several feet to the ground. Smiley’s website says she is a photo editor for the NFL.

Some observerscriticizedStafford for his apparent indifference. Talk radio personality Laura Steele called it a “bad look” for the quarterback.

The Rams apologized for the incident in a statement sent to HuffPost on Thursday.

“We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday’s incident and we are sorry for what happened,” said the statement, which was also sent on behalf of Matthew and Kelly Stafford. “As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

The Rams were celebrating their first Super Bowl championship in Los Angeles after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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