What happened to Saivion Smith? Lions star suffers head injury, father rushes onto field

Detroit Lions safety Saivion Smith suffered a serious injury on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. On his first NFL start for the Lions against the New England Patriots, he was assigned to cover Patriots tight end Hunter Henry. During a play in the first quarter, Smith fell to the ground after making what appeared to be light contact with Henry.

Both the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots medical teams came out to assist the 24-year-old. He initially wasn't moving while laying on the field. Medical staff then put him on a backboard and stretcher. An ambulance was brought onto the field and Smith's family also ran down to his side, riding with him to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The Detroit Lions later reported that the safety had a neck injury but that he did have movement in all of his extremities, which is a positive sign.

This is the latest serious injury in just the first five weeks of the NFL season. The league has been adamant about adhering to protocols, especially when it comes to head and neck injuries.

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How long has Saivion Smith played in the NFL?

Saivion Smith played college football at LSU before transferring to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He then transferred and played for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in 2018.

He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, but was then signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was then drafted in the XFL's Supplemental Draft by the Houston Roughnecks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 XFL season was cut short and the league essentially went out of business.

The Dallas Cowboys then signed him in April 2020. From then until November 2021, he was signed to the practice squads of the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. In December 2021, the Detroit Lions signed him to the practice squad and he signed a futures contract with the team after the completion of the season.

He has been on the Detroit Lions' practice squad since and was activated this week to make his first career start in the NFL.