Sports Reporter Got Hit by a Football On Camera and Recovered Like the Pro She Is

No man — or woman — is safe on the field. That’s the lesson learned by football reporter Melissa Stark, who was delivering an on-air segment before an NFL game at Wembley Stadium in London when she was hit right in the head by a stray ball. Sharing the clip on Twitter, Stark had a sense of humor about it: “Hurts more every time I watch it… London, I’ll never forget you!” she joked, adding that she was thankfully “already off the injury report.”

Stark was in the U.K. in advance of a L.A. Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans match when the errant football found the back of her head (and not whatever its presumed target must have been). As she noted in her tweet, she’s been covering the NFL for two decades — and getting interrupted by an unexpected ball in that way while on air was a first. “I’m really not in a good area here,” she said as she continued to give her report, flinching from further potential hits but staying focused on getting the facts of her report across against the odds.

Followers applauded Stark’s flawless recovery and commitment — and even had an idea or two about how to protect against future hits.