Former Upstate New York College Athlete Helps Save Texas Driver’s Life

As K.J. Osborn so perfectly stated, he was in the right place, at the right time, on Sunday in Texas.

The former University at Buffalo wide receiver was in the back of an Uber that was driving through Austin, Texas, when he and his Uber driver both spotted a car on-fire on the side of the road. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous, and in the aftermath, both Osborn and the driver are being heralded as heroes.

Get our free mobile app

Pro Wide Receiver Osborn Assists in Saving Man's Life in Texas

A story from CBS Sports and other outlets shared details of the heroic act performed by K.J. Osborn, a former wide receiver at the University at Buffalo, who recently completed his third professional season with the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings.

As mentioned above, Osborn and his Uber driver reportedly spotted a car that had crashed into a pillar, and caught on-fire, while on-the-road on Sunday. The driver exited his own vehicle to help, and Osborn followed him to the scene.

Miraculously, the duo was able to remove the driver from the fiery wreck, and pull the man away from the scene before things got any worse. The individual was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The following day, Osborn posted the following on his Twitter account:

This is such a powerful story, and both Osborn and the driver of his Uber deserve all of the credit in the world for what they were able to do. No matter who you are, or what you do for a living, we are all human beings, and in everything [should] do to others as we would have them do to us. That's exactly what K.J. Osborn did, and now, he's a hero for his actions.

As a football player, Osborn suited up for the University at Buffalo Bulls for three seasons, and spent four total years at the institution from 2015 through 2018. After red-shirting his freshman year, Osborn made his debut in 2016, and grew into a reliable wideout during his time in Upstate New York.

Osborn finished his redshirt-junior season with 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 total games. He would transfer to the University of Miami for the 2019 season, and record 547 yards and five scores with the Hurricanes that year.

Osborn was then drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, with the team selecting him in the 5th round of the 2020 Draft. He made the team out of training camp in 2020, but was only deployed as a punt/kick returner during his rookie season.

Since that year, however, Osborn has become a regular contributor in one of the NFL's most potent passing offenses. He's recorded 1,305 receiving yards during the past two seasons combined, adding 12 touchdowns to the mix, as well.

He was already a budding star on the football field, but as of this weekend, he's also a hero for helping save a life, deep in the heart of Texas.