'He Will Send Angels to Be Camped Around You': NFL Vikings' K.J. Osborn Helps Rescue Man from Burning Car

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn said he was in the "right place at the exact right time" to help save a man from a burning car.

Osborn was riding in an Uber on an expressway around 2:30 a.m. Monday in Austin, Texas, when the vehicle came upon a wrecked car. Austin police said Tuesday that the car ran into a pole and caught fire. Police said the driver "had already been removed from the vehicle" by the time officers arrived.

Police declined to confirm the identities of the rescuers, saying only that the investigation is ongoing. The car's driver was taken to a hospital with injuries described by police as non-life threatening. The cause of the wreck remains under investigation.

Osborn, 25, posted to social media on Monday about how he and three others rescued the man, writing, "I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time."

"Most of the time, the saying goes 'wrong place, wrong time.' But this time I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time," the three-year NFL veteran wrote. 

"Last night myself and these 3 absolute hero's helped save a man's life by rescuing him from a vehicle up in flames after a bad crash. A situation I'd never imagine being a part of in a million years," Osborn continued. 

"I'll leave with you with this. God is real. And His LOVE is real. He will send angels to be camped around you and provide you with his grace and mercy," he concluded. 

Osborn also included a photo of the three people who helped pull the man to safety, including a photo taken during the rescue, and a photo taken of the vehicle after the fire was out.  

Right Place Right Time. pic.twitter.com/Jxcn0qBouC

— KJ Osborn (@KJ_Osborn) March 7, 2023

Osborn was in Austin visiting friends. He said Monday in an interview on an ESPN podcast that his Uber driver pulled over when he saw the car was crashed into the pillars of the freeway overpass. Osborn said while he approached the vehicle with caution out of concern for an explosion, the ride-share driver went right up to it and opened the door.

"I didn't even know if he was alive when we walked up to the car," Osborn said on the ESPN podcast. "Without that, I think that car would have burned on fire, and it would have been really tragic."

After the man inside the car moved to the passenger's side, Osborn, the Uber driver and two other bystanders worked to pull him out.

"That's when I picked him up," Osborn said. "He's bleeding all over my shirt and everything, and I pick him up and I carry him about 10 to 15 yards so this way we're away from the car."

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The NFL wide receiver is a Christian and is known for his service to his local community. The first line on this Twitter bio is "Put God 1st."

The Vikings player also works with The Salvation Army year-round, especially during the holidays. Last fall, he starred in a television ad campaign for the charity to recruit bell ringers for the Army's Red Kettle donation drive and also spent time as a bell ringer for the annual fundraiser. 

In addition, Osborn donated rent assistance funds to three local families served by the charity. 

A native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, he explained at one time his family needed help with their rent. He lived with his mother and sister after his parents divorced. He recalled the three of them cleaning a local car dealership to earn extra money to pay their rent. At the time, his mother was attending school to be a dental hygienist. 

"Once or twice, my mom walked into the (apartment) management office and they said somebody paid our rent," Osborn explained. "That was a huge thing for a single mother with two kids. For me to be in this position now, I want to do that for somebody else."

He also shared a message for any person or family who is struggling right now.

"Keep your faith and continue to fight," Osborn said. "If you continue to fight, continue to live right, and continue to love others, God will reward you. My mom taught that to my sister and me – not by her words, but by her actions."