Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sure stirred the cultural pot with a controversial, masculine-centric commencement speech a while back, but when it comes to being a good Samaritan, at least he indubitably has that going for him.
Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder revealed on Friday that when defensive end BJ Thompson had a life-threatening incident at the team facility the previous day, it was Butker who sprung to action, alerted the training staff, and ultimately helped save Thompson’s life.
#Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder told reporters that Harrison Butker ran to the training room to get trainers after BJ Thompson suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest on Thursday.
Thompson was brought out of sedation this morning. He is alert, awake, and recovering… pic.twitter.com/cZ2wSbONHi
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 7, 2024
A positive update: #Chiefs DE BJ Thompson is awake and responsive, according to his agent, Chris Turnage.
One day after Thompson suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting, the second-year pro’s prognosis is good. pic.twitter.com/YdjUTJtH3X
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 7, 2024
Thank goodness Thompson is seemingly going to be OK. As Burkholder noted in his press conference, just on Monday the Chiefs were mandated to practice with a group that runs through scenarios like what happened with Thompson. Seriously eerie stuff, but also serendipitous that Kansas City players and staff were so familiar with those protocols that Butker and the rest of the crew were able to take swift action. The KC Fire Department paramedics responded on the scene, and took him to the hospital. Thompson was on a ventilator overnight, so it’s especially encouraging to hear how swift of a recovery he’s made already.
It’s worth bringing up what Travis Kelce had to say on Butker following his polarizing speech. In essence, Kelce said that the kicker was “a great person and a great teammate” but that he disagreed with some of Butker’s opinions on society and the roles of men and women therein. In that vein, I think folks can agree to disagree with Butker and how he sees the world, and can also acknowledge there is room for him to still be a kind person and a good teammate to others in the Chiefs locker room.
Here’s more from Chiefs safety Justin Reid, who witnessed Butker’s heroic actions.
#Chiefs safety Justin Reid on watching Harrison Butker go get trainers for BJ Thompson: "Harrison's that guy. I mean, he loves all of us. And you know, we're family. This is so much deeper than just football. And yeah, I mean, we root for each other, and in a moment like that,…
— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) June 7, 2024
Tempting as it can be to belittle Butker, he showed a lot of composure and courage in a situation where many of us might freeze up. Butker is known for being clutch and having ice in his veins on the football field in critical kicking situations.
This scary episode involving Thompson transcended anything football-related, and Butker answered the call all the same. Good for him, and once again, what a relief to hear how Thompson is progressing. All the best to him to continue working toward a full recovery.
