Former New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey used the Heimlich maneuver to save Carolina Panthers teammate Ben Hartsock, reports Brad Biggs of the National Football Post.
Dining in the team cafeteria, Hartsock choked on a piece of pork tenderloin and couldn't free it by drinking a glass of water, at which point "it became evident to others in the room he could not breathe," Biggs writes. Mike McCartney, Hartsock's agent, tells the rest of the story:
“Some new guy came and tried to give him the Heimlich. It didn’t work. Then, Shockey hit him in the back pretty hard and out came the meat. The Panthers told me it was really scary.
“Ben told me Shockey came over and gave me the Heimlich Maneuver and saved my life. He was in good spirits and he’s real thankful for Shockey.”
Now, Shockey's a lifesaver off the field as well as on it.
Along with the love and admiration of the Giants faithful, Shockey earned Pro Bowl trips in four of his six seasons with New York, during which he caught 371 passes for 4228 yards and 27 touchdowns. This season will be his first as a Panther, following a three-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.