BJ Thompson cardiac arrest: Chiefs detail how Harrison Butker, staff assisted during medical emergency

David Suggs

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BJ Thompson cardiac arrest: Chiefs detail how Harrison Butker, staff assisted during medical emergency image

The Chiefs got some positive news regarding defensive lineman BJ Thompson's health on Friday.

One day after suffering a seizure and going into cardiac arrest at the team's training facilities, Thompson regained consciousness, his agent, Chris Turnage, told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

It was a welcome sign for the franchise, whose medical staff came through in a big way to protect Kansas City's former fifth-round pick.

On Friday, Kansas City's VP of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, revealed some of the details regarding Thompson's collapse during a special teams meeting, as well as medical staff's efforts to rescue him.

Here's what you need to know.

What happened to BJ Thompson?

On Thursday, Chiefs defensive lineman BJ Thompson went into cardiac arrest after suffering a seizure during the team's special teams meeting. Kansas City's medical staff sprang into action, tending to Thompson on site before he was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Thompson regained consciousness on Friday morning and remains in the hospital in stable condition.

Burkholder detailed how Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rushed to alert medical personnel of Thompson's crisis in the immediate aftermath of Thompson's emergency. Butker raced into the medical facility and pulled Burkholder and his colleagues into the room where the special teams meeting was happening.

The team soon stabilized Thompson, getting to him while he was seizing but before he went into cardiac arrest. The group of individuals who gathered to help Thompson —Burkholder, assistant athletic trainers Julie Frymyer, David Glover, Tiffany Morton and Evan Craft, and Dr. Jean-Philippe Darche, a former Chiefs long snapper — administered CPR to Thompson.

Thompson went into shock, but it was brief. According to Burkholder, he "was only in cardiac arrest for less than a minute and a half."

After working on him, Kansas City's staff handed Thompson over to the Kansas City Fire Department, who took him to the local hospital.

According to Burkholder, Thompson was "heavily sedated" and placed on a ventilator on Thursday night to ensure he could breathe. He was brought out of sedation in the morning and is now awake and alert.

"He's coming through quite well," Burkholder said, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

BJ Thompson age

With a birthday of March 23, 1999, Thompson is 25 years old.

BJ Thompson NFL Draft

Kansas City selected Thompson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, taking him with the No. 166 pick.

Prior to his NFL days, Thompson starred at Stephen F. Austin. Thompson initially enrolled at Baylor as a four-star recruit. He went on to play two years with the Bears before transferring to join the Lumberjacks in 2019.

BJ Thompson stats

Thompson saw precious few minutes of game time in his maiden season. He did record a few stats, however.

YearTacklesSacksINTsFFFR
202320000

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.