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Former college football player catches toddler thrown from burning building in US

July 9, 2020

A former college football player made the most important catch of his life when he caught a toddler thrown off the balcony of a burning building in Arizona.

Footage of the July 3 incident in Phoenix emerged this week, showing former wide receiver for Saddleback CollegePhillip Blanks rushing in to catch the tumbling child who was thrown off a third story apartment complex balcony to save him from a raging fire.

The 28-year-old told ABC7 news "instinct" took over.

"There wasn't much thinking, I just reacted, I just did it," he said. "I've learned how to catch a football. So I'll give some credit to football."

Mr Blanks had served as a US marine since leaving college and now works in the security industry.

Sadly the child's mother died in the fire. According to ABC7 news, the 30-year-old woman's last action was to fling her son to safety as she herself was already covered in flames.

"She's the real hero of the story," Mr Blanks said. "Because she made the ultimate sacrifice to save her children."

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