New York safety Smith appealing suspension for hit on Boldin
By Sports Network
The Sports Network
New York Jets safety Eric Smith has appealed his one game suspension and $50,000 fine that the NFL levied on him for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the Jets' 56-35 victory in Week 4.
Jets head coach Eric Mangini said in his press conference on Monday that Smith was going through the appeal process and that a ruling was expected later Monday or Tuesday.
Smith was disciplined for the hit on Boldin, who was in a defenseless position when contact was made, late in the fourth quarter.
The play occurred with 27 seconds remaining as Boldin went up for a pass in the end zone and was hit by two players, including Smith's helmet-to-helmet collision. Boldin was tended to by medical staffs and brought off the field on a backboard and was taken to the hospital for observation.
After a series of tests performed at New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital came back negative, Boldin flew back to Arizona with the team, but had surgery for a fractured facial bone and is out indefinitely.
On September 17, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement saying that hits endangering the safety of players would no longer be tolerated.
If the suspension is upheld, Smith will serve it against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. In addition to his fine, he would also forfeit his salary for the suspended game.
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