NFL star taken from pitch by ambulance after neck injury as dad called from stands

Detroit Lions player Saivion Smith left the pitch in an ambulance after injuring his neck in his side's NFL match with the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Smith, 24, was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated - with his dad called down from the stands amid worrying scenes. Medics on the field brought out a stabilising board for the corner back before putting him in the ambulance.

During the first quarter, Smith was trying to cover Patriots tight end Henry Hunter when he hit the ground, despite the contact between the pair appearing minimal. As staff tended to him, teammates and opponents gathered around the player.

The Tampa born star was making his first NFL start for the Lions, having been waived by the San Franciso 49ers in December. And after the Pro Football Network Twitter account posted footage of the incident, well wishes poured in for the ex-IMG Academy star.

"DB Savion Smith was taken off the field in an ambulance with family members joining him inside after going down on this play," read the caption. The post also included a praying emoji.

In response, @jgraffius made reference to Ryan Shazier, who was left paralysed after being injured in a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. 2017 season: "Wow, this reminds me so much of Ryan Shazier," he said. "Prayers for him and his family."

Smith's worried teammates saw him leave the pitch in an ambulance (Getty Images)

@MsKrystalV wrote: "Prayers up for Savion Smith. You know it’s serious when the ambulance is on the field that quick and you have no idea what happened. Tears welled when I saw his dad get into the front seat. This is bigger than football, y’all. Hope he’s ok. "

Smith had finally settled with a team following brief stints with Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Roughnecks, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and then the 49ers. He then signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions in January this year.

At the time of his injury, the Lions were trailing 3-0 in New England. The hosts extended that lead to 16-0 in the second quarter, with both sides looking to improve on their 1-3 early season record.