GREEN BAY (WLUK) — Officials are providing more clarity about a scuffle between a Houston Texans player and a Green Bay Packers fan during Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.
After one of Joe Mixon’s scores for Houston in the second quarter, the running back attempted a classic Packers celebration with a sole Texans fan in the stands: a Lambeau Leap.
However, his Lambeau Leap failed, thanks in part to a Packers fan in the front row who was seen pushing Mixon down by his helmet.
Social media has swirled with rumors that the unknown fan was ejected from the game, but officials with the Packers and the Green Bay Police Department discredited that claim.
Packers staff say after the attempted Lambeau Leap, security and police reviewed the video of the incident, calling it “inconclusive.” Instead of ejecting the fan, police gave him a verbal warning about his behavior and he was allowed to return his seat.
However, a different fan was ejected from the game.
“There were two separate incidents involving fans that happened almost simultaneously in the same section, which may have caused some confusion as to the actions taken by those investigating each incident,” says Katie Hermsen, a public affairs manager with the Packers.
“At the time of the attempted Lambeau Leap. . . there was an additional nearby incident with another fan. That fan ended up being ejected,” Hermsen adds.
“The guy in the Packers overalls or whatever that kept on pushing him down so he couldn’t get up and it was kind of like, ‘Lambeau Leap denied!'” said Russ Cochran of St. Louis.
“I think the Lambeau Leap is for Packers players, so I think anytime an opposing player tries to do a Lambeau Leap, I think they should be shoved away and shoved down,” said Stephen Leighton of San Diego.
Fans we spoke with at Lambeau Field on Monday said they were glad the fan wasn’t ejected — and disagree with those who think he should’ve been
” I don’t think an ejection for that specific action in itself should be worthy of an ejection from the game,” Leighton said.
“No, it was all in fun,” Cochran said. “It’s just like, this is our stadium, this is our home, you’re not doing this here.”