Former Nebraska QB rescues family from burning home

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Former Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Jr. is being called a hero, after rescuing a family from a burning home.

The fire happened Monday night in Gulfport, Mississippi, where Tommy’s mother, Nadine, lives.

Tommy’s wife, Jaylyn, described a chaotic scene.

“We’re sitting in her living room and the neighbor’s 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,” Jaylyn said in a tweet.

Tommy lived in Gulfport, Mississippi until Hurricane Katrina severely damaged his mother’s home in 2005, causing him to move to Cibolo, Texas to live with his father. Tommy told Gray Television station WLOX that he grew up next to the family who lived in the burning home.

“I saw a bunch of smoke so I just started grabbing bricks and throwing it through the window,” Tommy said. “So I crawled in there, grabbed her and got her out. At the end of the day, I was just trying to find her. I’ve known her since I was a little kid.”

Everyone was able to get out of the home, and some went to the hospital for medical treatment.

There’s no word on what caused the fire.

“Hug your family extra tight and always tell them how much you appreciate them. Life is too precious,” Armstrong tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Tommy Armstrong, Jr. played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 2013-2016.