Erin Andrews recalled the harrowing aftermath of the injury to Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell after being just feet from the scary scene.
“That’s the hard part of what we do, having to report on it,” Andrews, 48, said on the Wednesday, November 4, episode of her “Calm Down” podcast. “You don’t want to misspeak. You just want to handle it with as much grace and let the trainers do their gigs. I felt bad even asking [Lions] PR, ‘Do you have an update?’ It was just like, ‘OK, let’s see what we can get.’”
Andrews was the sideline reporter for Fox Sports during the game between the Lions and Minnesota Vikings at Detroit’s Ford Field on Sunday, November 1, when Campbell, 26, sustained a neck injury while attempting to make a tackle in the fourth quarter. He was carted off the field and remains hospitalized at nearby Henry Ford Hospital.
“Being in that seat and getting a text from the trainers saying, ‘Hey, you gotta come down here,’ that’s scary s***,” Andrews admitted. “It’s the hard part of the gig.”
As soon as it was clear that Campbell was immobile, Andrews explained that confusion was the prevailing emotion on the field.
“The biggest thing that we saw, and it was happening right away … those poor Lions and Vikings players didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “The defense has to get back out on that field. [Lions defensive end] Aidan Hutchinson makes a huge play. He points to the tunnel that they took Jack Campbell up.”
The scene was especially difficult for Andrews, who has been married to former NHL player Jarret Stoll since 2017.
“I get really emotional about this stuff because I’ve been in an ambulance a couple of times with my husband, and it’s just really hard,” she recalled. “One of my husband’s ex-teammates who had suffered a big time injury is a huge Lions fan. He texted me on the sidelines and he was just like, ‘How bad is this?”’
Andrews added, “It’s just tough, because I [think about] his family, his wife, his kid. It’s the s***ty part of the game. It’s the real part of the game.”
Jack and his wife, Megan, welcomed their first baby, son Cooper, in July .
The Lions linebacker broke his silence about the incident on Wednesday in a statement released by the team.
“My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and support we’ve received over the past few days,” Campbell said. “It means more to us than words can express.”
He continued, “I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
