BJ Thompson is awake and responsive after the Kansas City Chiefs star suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday.
The defensive lineman suffered a seizure before going into cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting.
Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder told reporters that Thompson was heavily sedated in hospital on Thursday and was on a ventilator to assist with his breathing.
Now Burkholder has given a positive update, saying that the 25-year-old star was ‘awake and alert’ and off the ventilator.
Burkholder said: “He’s headed in the absolute right direction.
“Our players, our security staff, everybody involved, coaches and staff, they were phenomenal in handling the crisis.”
Burkholder added: “We don’t have a diagnosis. And in medicine, sometimes you don’t have that.”
Kicker Harrison Butker alerted the medical team when the seizure began on Thursday.
Staff performed CPR on Thompson and used a defibrillator one time after he went into cardiac arrest for approximately 90 seconds.
NFL rules state that teams practice emergency action plans multiple times a year in preparation for such an event.
By coincidence, the Chiefs happened to conduct one just three days earlier on Monday.
Speaking on Friday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said: “That’s a tough situation, I’ve been through a couple of those before in my time and it’s never fun.
“”Thank goodness though, if it had to happen, no better place then right here where he had the support that knows what to do.”
Thompson was a 2023 fifth-round pick for the Chiefs and appeared in one game during his rookie season.
News Summary:
- ‘Awake and alert’ – Kansas City Chiefs give update on BJ Thompson after cardiac arrest in team meeting
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