Oct 19, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Cougars helmet on the sidelines prior to the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images William Purnell-Imagn Images

Former Houston Cougars LB Saves Man From Burning Car

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 2:57 PM ET

Over 20 years since he last played football, former Houston Cougars linebacker Glenn Cadrez can be considered a hero, even if he doesn't like to call himself one.

On Aug. 23, Cadrez, 55, was leaving his son's youth football game when he avoided a head-on collision in front of him on Interstate 15 outside of Temecula, Calif. Shortly after, though, he noticed both cars caught fire.

"By the time I turned around, the car was engulfed in flames," Cadrez told TMZ. "I mean, biggest reddest flames, dark black smoke."

Cadrez knew what he had to do, so he pulled over and helped a 25-year-old man escape the burning wreckage. That alone would be enough to make him a hero, but tragically, he can't help but think about those he couldn't save.

Glenn Cardez Mourns Car Crash Victims

RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The day after the accident, the California Highway Patrol told Cadrez that four people died in the accident. The victims include a 23-year-old woman, a 15-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy, and an unidentified fourth person in the other car.

"The four deaths -- I didn't even know, and at the time when I was pulling him out, I thought there were no casualties," Cadrez said. "I thought it was just an injury with him and the other guy.

"So it kinda hit a little harder the next day, and I hope he is okay. I have two kids, so it really kinda hit home for me, and I squeezed my kids a little tighter last night."

Cadrez described him saving the man as simply a "common decency act," despite the heroic nature of said action.

“I don’t look at it like this heroic thing I did. It was just, it happened. It happened quickly, and I had to open it and get someone out, you know, it was someone’s kid,” Cadrez told Fox 5 San Diego.

An El Centro, Calif., native, Cadrez played for the Cougars from 1990-91 and was a sixth-round pick by the New York Jets in the 1992 NFL Draft. However, he is most well-known for his time with the Denver Broncos, as he helped John Elway and co. win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. He also spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs at the tail end of his career.

In 167 NFL games, 46 of which he started, Cadrez finished his career with 254 total tackles (seven for loss), 14.5 sacks, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, five forced fumbles, and nine fumble recoveries.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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