Rams’ Matthew Stafford reflects on reaction to NFL photographer’s downfall: ‘Obviously this happened really fast’

Los Angeles rams quarterback Matthew Stafford He expressed regret on Tuesday about his reaction to NFL Photographer falls from the stage during the team Energy Parade last week, saying he wished he had “a better reaction”.

Stafford, who took home the Lombardy Cup with the Rams this season after 12 years of trying with Detroit Lionsjoined his wife, Kelly Stafford, on her podcast “The Morning After” to discuss his viral reaction to Kelly Smiley’s fall on stage, causing the photographer to fracture his spine.

RAMS, staff to pay hospital bills and broken camera costs from NFL photographer KELLY SMILEY

We can’t talk about what happened,” Kelly Stafford said on the podcast. There was a photographer, who came out from the back of the stage, and asked if we wanted a picture, and I said, ‘Yeah, because looking back at my camera roll, I’m literally a zero from Matthew and me. “

“When I showed up, I backed out and fell,” she continued. “It was a terrible moment. Matthew looked at me and said, ‘Check it please’, and turned around.”

Kelly Stafford said she went straight to Smiley and at first she “realized she was fine”.

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“We followed up with her, the moment we got in the car, Matthew looked at me and said, ‘Hey, are you going to get in touch with the rams, and ask how she’s doing?'” They did, they’re like, ‘We think she’ll be okay.’ We sent her flowers. The next day we woke up, not okay.”

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Championship display on February 16, 2022, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
(Jevon Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Kelly Stafford went on to say that the quarterback texted Smiley, but his reaction had already gone viral by that point.

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“Obviously, it happened very quickly, suddenly and unexpectedly, and I wish I had a better reaction by now,” he said. “I didn’t apologize to her for that, but I’m glad she’s generally doing just fine. It’s one of those things that you try to train your reactions to to be a little better next time.”

Matthew Stafford (center left) of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates on stage during the victory parade at Super Bowl LVI on February 16, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.
(Catelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Matthew Stafford and The Rams announced that they would pay Smiley’s medical costs and replace her broken cameras after she fell off the podium, which appeared to be about 6 feet off the ground.