Detroit Lions radio voice Lomas Brown was an offensive lineman in 1991 when teammate Mike Utley suffered a paralyzing neck injury
ATLANTA — Lomas Brown was on the field 34 years ago when his Detroit Lions teammate, Mike Utley, suffered a paralyzing neck injury.
On Friday, Aug. 8, Brown was in the broadcast booth for the Lions' preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons − and he said he had a frightening flashback to Utley's injury when safety Morice Norris was injured making a fourth-quarter tackle on Nathan Carter and was taken off the field by ambulance.
"Oh yeah. Without a doubt," Brown told the Free Press after the game. "It brought back memories of Mike Utley again. And you know how people say when we say one play could end your career? One play could end your career."
Norris was injured on the first play of the fourth quarter Friday when he came up to make a tackle from his deep safety spot. Norris' head snapped back violently when it hit Carter's leg, and his body fell limp to the ground.
The Lions said Norris was in stable condition late Friday night with feeling and movement in all his extremities. He was to remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation.
"It's really scary," Brown said. "Man, heart beating right now."
The NFL called Friday's game with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter and the Lions leading, 17-10, after the Falcons took a snap.
Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler who played for the Lions from 1985-95, said he's "never seen anything like that before in my life."
Brown recalled trainers tending to Utley on Nov. 17, 1991, for nearly 30 minutes at the Pontiac Silverdome before taking the offensive lineman to the hospital. The Lions and Los Angeles Rams finished the game.
"Think about how you have to refocus back on that," Brown said. "I mean, it was just crazy. It really was."
Utley, paralyzed at the time from the neck down with two fractured vertebrae, never played football again after three seasons in the NFL. Since then, however, he has regained the use of his upper extremities.
In 1992, Utley established the Mike Utley Foundation, which has raised millions to support research, rehab and education for those living with spinal cord injuries, while financially supporting patient/family assistance programs. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Free Press special writer Bill Dow contributed to this report.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Morice Norris injury evokes Mike Utley for Detroit Lions' Lomas Brown
Category: Football