Linebacker Jamie Collins was tossed from his first game with the Detroit Lions on Sunday, after giving a referee a bizarre, slow-motion head butt.
Collins, who was only just signed to the team in May, was ejected in the second quarter of the Lions’ bout against Chicago after Bears running back Ty Montgomery ran one yard to the Bears’ 29-year-line, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Video of the incident shows Collins bending over and slowly knocking the top of his helmet into ref Alex Kemp’s chest. Kemp recoiled and immediately threw a yellow flag to the field.
A discussion ensued among the officials, but it wasn’t long before Collins was disqualified, and the Lions assessed a 15-yard penalty.
It has been suggested that Collins did not mean to accost the ref but was trying to demonstrate how he himself was head-butted during the play.
Regardless, the rules are clear that there can be no contact on the field at all between referees and players.
Collins was not the only Lions player to leave the field. Cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman were ruled out for the rest of the game after receiving a hamstring injuries. And with cornerback Jeff Okudah already out with the same injury, that leaves the Lions defense a bit thin.
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