BALTIMORE _ Shelley Lipton got the shot. But she also took the hit.
The Pittsburgh-area photographer was covering the Steelers' game Sunday against the visiting Ravens in the first quarter when quarterback Lamar Jackson headed her way. After throwing away a pass near the sideline, Jackson was shoved in the back by defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
The illegal hit sent him flying, and Jackson hurtled out of control toward Lipton, who was crouching behind the lens of her camera. Jackson couldn't avoid a collision, and Lipton lost control of her camera as she rolled onto her back before sitting upright.
Jackson quickly walked over to help her up. He said Wednesday that he later messaged her to ask whether she was OK.
"They're human beings, too. I'm over here moving fast, getting physical out there on the field, and we're coming full speed," he said. "And she's sitting down, taking pictures. I know that kind of hurt, so I had to make sure she was all right."
Jackson recalled that he didn't say anything to Lipton, who was not hurt. "I just rubbed her head," he said, and then he returned to the game. Lipton said on Twitter that she was "blind sided" by the hit but did not blame Jackson.
"Could have been much worse but Lamar did everything to avoid hitting me," she wrote. "Wouldn't have happened if Tuitt didn't make late hit on LJ shoving him out of bounds."
In the end, Jackson and Lipton got what they wanted out of the play. The Ravens scored a touchdown two plays later in their eventual 26-23 overtime win. And Lipton got a shot of Jackson stiff-arming Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt before the quarterback was shoved out of bounds.
"It was her with the picture," Jackson said. "I just told her it was a great shot."
