Horror moment at Super Bowl LX as referee Shawn Smith is flattened and left in a heap on the Patriots-Seahawks sideline, only to rise and continue officiating.
A REFEREE found himself on the wrong end of a big hit during a scary moment at the Super Bowl.
Official Shawn Smith was attempting to gain control of an unruly scene near the sideline with just under ten minutes of the second quarter left to play.
Super Bowl referee Shawn Smith was sent tumbling after a scary collision
Patriots receiver Mack Hollins quickly checked on the official
Smith ended up rolling from his hip to his face
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs had been forced out of bounds and into a sea of Seattle Seahawks jerseys, with things quickly getting feisty between the stars.
But as the referee arrived to calm things down, he found himself blindsided by another star.
The official can be seen tumbling into frame and landing heavily on his shoulder before rolling onto his face.
Pats wide receiver Mack Hollins – who stands at 6ft 4in and weighs in at over 220 lbs – can be seen following him into frame, having apparently collided with him just off camera.
Hollins, 32, immediately checked on the fallen ref, alongside a couple of other stars who saw the collision occur.
But Smith took the hit like a champ, immediately popping back up to his feet and returning to his duties without missing a beat.
It would prove to be one of the more exciting moments of the game as the Seahawks destroyed the Patriots 29-13 to claim their first Super Bowl since 2013.
Two touchdowns for Pats QB Drake Maye were not enough to get his side back into the mix after being shut out for the first three quarters.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III managed 135 yards on the ground from 27 rushing attempts, but neither he nor quarterback Sam Darnold could manage a touchdown in the first half.
Walker’s contributions were deemed enough to earn him the Super Bowl MVP award, becoming the first running back to do so since Denver Broncos star Terrell Davis in 1998.
Smith quickly got back up and continued with his role
Jason Myers stole the show as kicker
But the real star of the show proved to be an unlikely hero in Seahawks kicker Jason Myers.
The 34-year-old undrafted star connected with five field goals and two extra points for a perfect record of seven made attempts, racking up 17 of his team’s 29 points.
He was the only player to score in the game’s first three quarters, with the scoreline at one point reading 12-0 thanks to points exclusively made by the California native.
His five field goals were the most ever in a Super Bowl, and his 17 points took him to 206 for the season, the most ever recorded in an NFL campaign when including the post-season.
If Myers wasn’t the highlight of the dreary Super Bowl, perhaps half-time artist Bad Bunny was as he brought some needed energy to Levi’s Stadium.
The Puerto Rican superstar put on quite the show, with celebrity appearances and even a real wedding occurring in the middle of the performance.
