BJ Thompson appeared to be recovering Thursday, and he has a teammate to thank for saving his life.
THE Kansas City Chiefs the defensive end suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest during a team meeting Thursday morning.
Rick Burkholder, the Chiefs’ vice president of sports medicine and performance, said the team held a meeting earlier this week about “scenarios like” Thompson’s emergency.
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Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs arrives at Allegiant Stadium before the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
During Thursday’s meeting, when Thompson had a seizure, it was Harrison Butker who alerted the team’s medical staff.
“When he had the seizure, Butker immediately ran to the training room and grabbed (assistant athletic trainers) Julie Frymyer and David Glover, then grabbed me, and we went into the room,” said Burkholder on the NFL Network on Friday.
“As a team, we tried to stabilize BJ and put him on the ground while he was still convulsing,” Burkholder added. “Then he went into cardiac arrest. Our team in that group of people performed CPR on him. He went into AD shock and came back, so he was only in cardiac arrest for less than a minute, a minute and a half.
“Our players, our security staff – everyone involved, coaches and staff – have been phenomenal in their handling of the crisis.”
BJ Thompson of the Kansas City Chiefs leaves the field during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on August 19, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. (Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
CHEFS’ BJ THOMPSON ‘AWAKEN AND RESPONSIVE’ AFTER SEIZURE, CARDIAC ARREST: OFFICER
Butker has become a polarizing figure in recent weeks because of a commencement speech he gave at Benedictine College, in which he urged female graduates to embrace being a “housewife” and criticized the LGBTQ community and President Biden for his stance on abortion.
In his speech, Butker added: “Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, and growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder. »
Butker attended the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration at the White House last week.
And his jersey sales have soared on NFL Shop, while many in the media remain divided on the narrative.
Thompson’s agent said Friday that Thompson was “awake and responsive.”
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end BJ Thompson (53) during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SOFI Stadium. (Orlando Ramirez/USA Today Sports)
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Thompson enters his second season with the Chiefs after being selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He appeared in one game during his rookie season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18, and he recorded two tackles.
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