Former Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and his mom, Nadine, rescued some neighbors from a burning home in Gulfport, Miss. on Monday night. Armstrong -- who played for the Cornhuskers from 2013-2016 -- was visiting his family and found himself in the right place at the right time.
Armstrong told local TV station WLOX that he was concerned when he saw a lot of smoke coming from the neighbor's house. He knew there was no time to waste and jumped into action by throwing bricks through the window. Armstrong didn't sit back to wait for the fire department, instead he crawled in to help get people out of there as quickly as possible.
His wife, Jaylyn, called him and his mom heroes and explained what happened on a Twitter post.
"We're sitting in her living room and the neighbors house burst in flames," she wrote. "We run over and I take care of the young girl who punched the windows out to break free, Tommy and his mom jump into the burning house to pull the remaining people out."
@Tommy_Gun4 and his mom are heros. We’re sitting in her living room and the neighbors house burst in flames. We run over and I take care of the young girl who punched the windows out to break free, Tommy and his mom jump into the burning house to pull the remaining people out. pic.twitter.com/SIRgEoX5vP
— Jaylyn Armstrong (@JaylynArmstrong) December 27, 2022
The station reported that there was "major damage" inside and outside of the home. Some of the people who were inside when the fire started went to the hospital to get medical treatment. There is no word yet on what caused the fire.
According to WLOX, Armstrong grew up next to the family whose house caught on fire. He lived in Gulfport until Hurricane Katrina caused significant damage to his mother's home in 2005. The damage led Armstrong to move in with his father in Cibolo, Texas.
Although he showed bravery by helping the neighbors, the scary incident caused him to reflect on how precious life is.
"Hug your family extra tight and always tell them how much you appreciate them. Life is too precious," Armstrong tweeted on Tuesday morning.