Im ready to get after it, he says. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors were reportedly unsure whether the clot had anything to do with COVID-19. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. OK, so the night of March 29. The referee who collapsed during Gonzaga 's matchup against USC in the NCAA tournament had a blood clot in his lung, the Indianapolis Star reported on Friday. . Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. Then he becomes a basketball official. Every offseason lasts too long and a week off of the field makes me feel rusty. Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . In a scary moment, Smith passed out cold during a recent Elite Eight game. Bert Smith told the . Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Refereeing soccer is more than a hobby or a job; it is my passion and it is ingrained in me so deeply that it is a part of me. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. Smith does rememberthe play before it, Gonzagas Andrew Nembhard stealing the ball and going the other way, but now the action is coming back toward the USC basket, where Smith had remained hed been unable to run the court as Nembhard finished at the rim and Smith is wondering whats going on. Heres why: The doctor said, Listen, tell you what, why dont you just sit on the stretcher? I said OK, I can do that, Smith says and now hes laughing. Its deep, and its contagious. You could talk to him during a game. Smith trains year-round on a treadmill or stationary bike, and gets in other workouts, like when the family goes to Disney Worldand Smith says they dont need a stroller for their grandson, Karter. That was one of the few times I remember getting in trouble with my father for kicking his car door as hard as my little legs could out of anger. There is no better feeling then walking back into the locker room with your partners and knowing that we worked together as a team and that we gave everything we had for those 48 minutes. . After college, I had the great privilege of joining his football crew and kick-starting my own football officiating career. Not one of these men or women is without the utmost class and integrity, and I hope by associating with them some of their class and integrity has rubbed off on me and made me a better person. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Smith does rememberthe play before it:Gonzagas Andrew Nembhard stealing the ball and going the other way, but now the action is coming back toward the USC basket, where Smith had remained hed been unable to run the court as Nembhard finished at the rim and Smith is wondering whats going on. Look at those crossed arms. 2023 www.indystar.com. Im very grateful. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. So was Karter. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Legal Statement. There was an error submitting your subscription. Where did it come from? They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. I look for officials I assign to have the same respect and values for the game as I do. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. The doctor said, Listen, tell you what, why dont you just sit on the stretcher? I said OK, I can do that, Smith says and now hes laughing. He runs. Once hospitalizedat first, he didnt even plan to godoctors discovered a troubling issue: a blood clot in his lungs. This was evident five years ago when my mother died in September and my father died in October during the football season. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. According to the Indianapolis Star, Smith was placed on blood thinners and two days later the clot was gone. He said he'll be back officiating next season. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California during the first half of an Elite 8 game . Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Every chance I get, I want to get my heart rate up, says Smith, 56, who takes the court 90 times a year with elite NCAA athletes. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. Smith was put on blood thinners and discharged two days later with the clot gone. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Being mentally ready for the game is most important. " Bert is alert and stable and will not be transported to a hospital. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Who parks in the farthest spot from the entrance to Kroger? Jacquie was waiting at the door. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC during the first half of an Elite 8 game in the NCAA . Over the years Ive been blessed with so many highlights but have found a simple phrase that sums it all up: Special Soccer Moments, derived from the poem June Goal, written by my Dad in 1976. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Turns out, it was something worse. Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Just 4 minutes after tipoff in the Elite Eight matchup, Bert Smith crashed to the floor in a terrifying scene -- triggering team trainers and other medical personnel to race to his aid. Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. And without any rhyme or reason, the place where I feel the most at home, pacified and comfortable is on that soccer field. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. They were pretty intense, man. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their careand understands their stretcher subterfuge. I literally grew up watching my dad, Glen, work a seemingly endless number of football and basketball games. Youre going to get on one side, hes going to get on the other, were going to wave to the fans, and Im walking out of here.. They were pretty intense, man. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. Medical officials tending to him on the floor insisted he be transported off the floor by the stretcher. He started on the lowest levels as a youth league official in 1990, began working Division I games in 1993 and now does as many as 80 games a year. I always say, you can question my judgment but dont question my effort. Its a good week to be getting sympathy from the wife, he says, chuckling. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. It goes: You scored, Billy Unfortunately we miss plays every night, but the challenge of trying to be perfect and get every play right is why I love it so much. To me, he offers an aside: Hes taking advantage of a guy in a weakened position., The doc says, Swing your legs around. I swing my legs around, and they go: Click-click-click-click. Game official Bert Smith collapsed Tuesday evening in the first half of the men's NCAA basketball game between No. Devika Pawar. My father and older brother both became soccer referees, and I had to watch them referee every Saturday in agony waiting for my turn. You never know whats going to happen. By Bert Smith, NCAA D-I men's basketball official from Florence, Ky. Berts on the sixth floor, and hes putting on his mask to run the stairs down to the fifth floor for ice, or to run up to the eighth floor to see his buddies. Another year passed and my father finally allowed me to become a certified referee. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? Look at that picture again. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. The referee who collapsed during Gonzaga's matchup against USC in the NCAA men's basketball tournament had a blood clot in his lung, The Indianapolis Star reported Friday. Everyones joking with him now. I love the smell of the grass when you first walk out on the field when you get to the stadium. The arrival at the arena, the pregame, being with various partners, the competition, the players, coaches, ambience, the focus and concentration needed on each possession. For now, hes at his home in Florence, Ky., just outside of Cincinnati, relaxing and watching the Masters golf tournament while medicating an ailment that, if not caught after that fall, could have eventually been much worse. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. They strapped me in! They insisted more. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. The action was moving away from his baseline position after a Gonzaga steal, but he said he couldn't move or catch his breath. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California during the first half of an Elite 8 game . Bert Smith was involved in a controversial ending to a Kansas and Iowa State game that led to the Big 12 Conference punishing Smith for a call that cost the Cyclones a win against the Jayhawks. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Bert Smith does. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Bert Smith does. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. Now he wonders. Might as well walk fast, too. REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Bert Smith does. OK, so the night of March 29. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Where did it come from? Whatsthatfor? [1] It was the 68th annual edition of the tournament. "It puts in perspective the value of each day, because we all go through our lives -- we're all guilty of it -- and we just live, right?"