ESPN sideline reporter reflects on her collision with K-State QB Avery Johnson
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- ESPN sideline reporter Tori Petry and K‑State QB Avery Johnson collided during game.
- Late hit on Johnson by Baylor’s Kyland Reed sent Petry flying and led to flag.
- Petry returned to reporting, logged halftime interview, and reported only soreness.
Tori Petry has spent the past 11 years working as a sideline reporter, but she experienced something new last week as she covered Baylor’s 35-34 victory over Kansas State for ESPN+ at McLane Stadium.
A football player sent her crashing to the turf via an accidental collision.
“That is the first and only time I have been hit,” Petry said during an exclusive phone interview. “Eleven years of being on the sideline for football games and that is the first one I’ve ever had. So I would like to think I have a pretty good track record of having my head on a swivel. I just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time in that scenario.”
Two things made the sideline collision memorable for viewers:
1. Petry wiped out after taking a hit from K-State quarterback Avery Johnson, who happened to be the most recognizable football player on the field that day.
2. Petry hopped right back to her feet and continued to work the game as if nothing happened.
“As the sideline reporter, you never want to be the story,” Petry said. “You want to be covering the story. So my first thought was, I’ve got to get back in there. So I popped back up.”
The collision occurred after Johnson scrambled out of bounds for a gain of 5 yards late in the second quarter. Under normal circumstances, he would not have ended up anywhere near Petry, who was watching from several yards away. But Baylor linebacker Kyland Reed shoved Johnson after the play was over. All of a sudden, he was on a collision course with Petry.
Officials flagged Reed for the late hit and awarded an extra 15 yards to K-State.
Petry felt the late hit just as much as Johnson.
“I make it a point to be as close to the action as I can be so I can observe what’s happening,” Petry said. “Our job on the sideline is to be the eyes and ears of the broadcast. You’re in that scenario hundreds of times over the years doing this, and usually, you can judge the trajectory of which way a guy is heading as he’s heading towards the sideline and you can get out of the way.
“The late hit changed that. I did not have time to move. The rest of it happened super fast. Avery just kind of clipped me in my arm, which spun me around and sent me flying. It definitely looked a lot worse than it felt.”
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After the collision, Johnson threw his arms up in disgust and motioned to the nearest official for a flag.
Then he turned his attention to Petry.
“I cannot say enough nice things about how kind Avery was in that situation,” Petry said. “He was hovering over me and apologizing profusely. He was like, ‘I am so sorry. I am so sorry.’ He just kept repeating that. And I was like, ‘No, really, I’m fine. I’m fine. You can go back in the game. I’m good.’ He wanted to help me up. So props to him. What a great kid. I was very appreciative of how kind he was.”
Johnson went on to throw for 339 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.
Petry showed her toughness and conducted a halftime interview with Baylor coach Dave Aranda a few moments later. She finished out the game without any problems, and the ESPN+ crew had some fun by referencing the collision at various times in the second half.
Immediately after the hit, the broadcast team asked Petry to provide an injury update ... on herself.
“That was also a first,” Petry said. “But it was fun.”
Other than “a little soreness the next day,” Petry reported no injuries from the incident.
Turns out, she knows how to take a hit.
Petry used to play cornerback at the semi-pro level for the Detroit Dark Angels of the Women’s Football Alliance. After videos of her collision with Johnson spread across the Internet, she posted a photo on social media from her old playing days in full uniform.
“Thanks for all the messages checking on me,” she wrote as a caption. “I’m all good. I’ve played through some tough hits before.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "ESPN sideline reporter reflects on her collision with K-State QB Avery Johnson."