How a Missouri Fan Saved the Life of SEC Host Peter Burns

Prior to the Tigers Week 3 matchup, Missouri fan Jack Foster helped a man having a medical emergency and became a hero in many people's eyes.

Jack Foster and SEC host Peter Burns stand together at Bud's BBQ in Columbia following Burns medical emergency. / Peter Burns

He wouldn't say that he is a hero. But the guy whose life he saved and the Missouri Tigers head football coach Eli Drinkwitz disagree. To them, Jack Foster was the hero that day.

"I’m not a hero,” Foster told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “I was just one of the guys that did their job.”

The day before the Tigers win over then No. 24 Boston College Boston College, SEC Network host Peter Burns and the rest of the SEC Network crew flocked to Bud's BBQ, a popular restaurant in Columbia. While there, the Friday night quickly turned sour. He began choking on his food.

"Immediately, I knew it was serious and motioned to our table that I couldn’t breathe," Burns said on an X post. "I then waved over a friend to give me the Heimlich and he couldn’t dislodge the food."

After his friend, two other people, including a nurse, made attempts to help out Burns. It was finally Foster who stepped up to make an attempt. His try to save Burns came minutes into the struggle and just as he started to lose his consciousness. Finally, the food that blocked the SEC host's airway was forced free.

"It was surreal is I could hear everyone talking & doing everything they could to help," Burns said. "But nothing was working."

Foster was just at Bud's enjoying a dinner with his wife and son the night before the Mizzou football game day, when he saw Burns struggling and felt the need to help out. These strangers would have a major impact on each others lives.

As a youth sports coach, Foster had recently gone through training on CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, in case it was needed for any of the children he oversees. Foster likely didn't think that he would need this knowledge so soon.

Burns turned to X, formerly known as Twitter, to shout out Foster following Missouri's 27-21 win over Boston College and to tell the story.

Quick thread:

This man saved my life on Friday night in Columbia, Missouri

Mr. Jack Foster, a @MizzouFootball fan

While at dinner w/ our SEC Network crew, I began to choke on a piece of food.

Immediately I knew it was serious and motioned to our table that I couldn’t breathe pic.twitter.com/ylwKB7YSJy

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) September 16, 2024

This news made it all the way to Drinkwitz, who started out his week 4 press conference shouting out the Missouri fan who was just there to eat dinner, but ended up saving a life.

"[I] appreciate Jack stepping up and being a hero when he was needed to be a hero," Drinkwitz said.

The Missouri Football trainers took care of Burns following the event to check if there was any greater damage due to the choking. He says he was lucky walking away with his life and just four fractured ribs.

"I have a new appreciation for life as I sit here in studio on this Monday morning," Burns said on the SEC Network.

Burns was moved to tears recounting the events on the Monday segment of his show. After realizing he was close to losing his life, he reflected on the important things in life and shared this with the world.

"It's just a moment where you don't take things for granted," Burns said. "I feel stupid talking about this on air, but the lesson is taking every moment that you have and being positive. You don't know when something like that is going to happen."