The Tennessee Titans and their fans couldn’t have been more elated to knock off the New England Patriots in a 34-10 route at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sunday.
Unfortunately, there was a near-tragic backdrop to the blowout win. During a T-shirt throwing contest, 37-year-old Thomas Carrico Jr. of Goodlettsville fell out of the stands as the contest was taking place.
“The fall occurred during a T-shirt toss in the third quarter when a shirt landed on an awning in the stadium, a witness said,” the Tennessean reported. “Police said Carrico lost his balance and accidentally fell over a lower level railing and through the awning that covers the home team tunnel.”
Carrico Jr. was ultimately transported to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical but stable condition. A spokesperson for the hospital later upgraded the young man to stable condition on Monday.
An NFL employee witnessed the accident. As the cheerleaders were throwing T-shirts to the crowd in the stands, one landed on the awning above the tunnel. “Next thing I saw was a guy falling through the netting,” the employee said.