Darius Fleming saved woman from burning car before Divisional Round

Darius Fleming saved woman from burning car before Divisional Round

New England Patriots linebacker Darius Fleming achieved hero status on Wednesday morning when it was revealed that he saved a woman from a burning car just hours before playing in the Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs. Fleming received medical attention in the form of 22 stitches following the incident, but still suited up for Saturday afternoon’s game.

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Fleming didn’t boast to the media himself; rather, his agent confirmed the report after Fleming’s old stomping ground, St. Rita High School in Chicago, posted about the event on Facebook. According to Devin McCourty, Fleming told the team what transpired:

"Darius was really quiet about it, but once the team got a hold of it, the guys on the team, we forced him to give a speech and everything. He explained it was very simple: He saw a woman’s car that looked like it was smoking, and he just jumped out of his car. He’ll admit there was probably an easier solution, but I think it was nice and dramatic — kicked the window in and pulled her out.We got the hero’s speech. He gave us his account of what happened and a lot of cheers went out."

Now that Jerod Mayo has been placed on injured reserve, Fleming could be called into action early and often in the AFC Championship Game. You can bet that this story will be told on national television by Jim Nantz, and Fleming will win over the support of just about every casual football fan watching the game.

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This story serves as a heartwarming mid-week distraction for a Patriots team and fan base that is worried about the health of Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones leading up to Sunday afternoon.

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Go Pats.