Kansas City Chiefs player BJ Thompson has celebrated turning 26 after surviving a life-threatening incident last summer.
In June 2024, the defensive lineman was hospitalized after experiencing a seizure during a team meeting and went into cardiac arrest.
Thompson, a fifth-round draft pick out of Stephen F. Austin in 2023, was in the meeting room before the Chiefs were scheduled to have their final voluntary workout of the offseason.
He began to have a seizure and kicker Harrison Butker immediately ran to the trainer’s room and summoned medical staff.
The 26-year-old was placed on a ventilator and heavily sedated but made a full recovery.
He posted three pictures on his birthday on Monday, alongside the caption: ‘Almost lost my life at 25… Still blessed to see 26’.
Chiefs player BJ Thompson celebrated turning 26 after surviving a life-threatening incident
One of them showed him lying in a hospital bed, attached to a ventilator after his cardiac arrest
While two of the pictures appeared to show Thompson on vacation, the third showed the extent of his medical scare.
It shows him lying in a hospital bed on a ventilator, seemingly just after his scare.
Thompson, who started the 2024 season on the non-football illness list, did not play for the Chiefs last year as they made it to the Super Bowl.
He could be in line for a trip to the White House in the coming weeks, however.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday night he will host the Chiefs following a visit by the Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Trump told ‘Outkick the Show’ podcast host Clay Travis that he was looking forward to hosting the Chiefs following an April 28 White House ceremony for the Eagles, who trounced the Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans last month.
Trump said the Chiefs’ visit would make up for 2020 when they could not visit after their Super Bowl win then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not give a date for the new visit.
The Eagles did not go to the White House after winning Super Bowl LII in 2018.
Trump, then serving his first term, called off the event after learning several prominent players planned not to come.
