A somber Friday in Atlanta catches us off guard
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
In ways no one wanted to experience, we were twice reminded how fleeting our health and safety can be.
The end of Friday’s workday in Atlanta was twisted by an awful development at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A man had opened fire at the CDC, killing a DeKalb County police officer who was trying to stop him, according to authorities. The gunman later was found dead at a nearby CVS pharmacy.
You’re probably familiar with the gut-wrenching ripples created by such a horrific act. A locked-down campus. Alerts of an active shooter and orders to shelter in place or, chillingly, to run, hide and fight. Anxiously waiting for texts from co-workers and loved ones reporting that they’re safe. Grim news conferences held by police and government officials.
Not long after, thousands streamed into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their first taste of the long-awaited football season. An exhibition game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions filled the stadium with cherished sounds and sights — the cracking of pads, a roaring crowd, displays of speed, strength, agility and teamwork. Many rookies were playing their first-ever snaps of professional football.
And then, in the fourth quarter, a frightening injury on a seemingly typical play from scrimmage. Game officials halted the action. Medical staff came onto the field to tend to a Lions safety. Players respectfully dropped to one knee. The crowd hushed. Two carts came onto the field and then an ambulance.
The Lions player, 24-year-old Morice Norris, was placed on a stretcher and the ambulance slowly drove him off the field.
And in the aftermath of what looked like a horrific injury, it was decided to stop play. For a few minutes, 22 players returned to the field with no intent to play. The Falcons took a snap, creating a live play, but neither side reacted further. The clock ticked down without stopping.
Credit: AP
They eventually gathered in a circle and prayed for Norris and his family.
“I think (Falcons running back) Nathan Carter just kind of came up with the idea and kind of gathered everybody around, and we were all like, ‘Yeah, this is a smart thing to do,’” Falcons tight end Nikola Kalinic said.
It was Carter who carried the ball when he ran through Norris’ tackle attempt in which he was injured.
Finally, the game was suspended.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris appeared to be shaken as he addressed the media after the game.
“I can’t say I’ve been through a lot of those,” he said. “I don’t think any of us have.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell shared encouraging news for Morris, that Norris was breathing and talking at the hospital and had movement in his body.
“Just praying for ‘Mo’,” Campbell said. “I ask that everybody pray for him.”
In a statement issued later in the evening, the Lions reported Norris was in stable condition and had feeling and movement in all of his extremities. He was to stay overnight at Grady Hospital for observation.
“That stuff’s always crazy,” Falcons punter Bradley Pinion said. “You understand that it’s a violent game and you understand that and you accept that risk playing it, but you just never imagine it and you never expect that stuff to happen. Our thoughts and our prayers are with him.”
On Friday morning, the family, friends and colleagues of a DeKalb police officer did not plan to learn the worst news by day’s end. Likewise, the family, friends and teammates of an NFL football player did not expect that he would be seriously imperiled in a game that night in Atlanta.
But, within the span of a few hours in locations in Atlanta not too far apart, they both happened, one with obviously far graver consequences than the other.
If we’ve lived long enough, we’re well aware of the dangers that swirl around us. The bravest of us find their calling in protecting others from them.
Others embrace a game with inherent physical risks, whether playing it or cheering for helmeted gladiators seeking physical impact.
An understanding of the potential for certain unwanted outcomes doesn’t make it any easier when those threats actually hit home.
Pray for the family of Officer David Rose and those who mourn him and for the recovery of Morice Norris.
Sometimes, it’s all we can do.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
