Ex Mizzou 'Hero' QB Blaine Gabbert Saved Family in Helicopter Crash

Former Missouri Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert spent his holidays playing hero to a family in distress

Matt Galatzan | Jan 1, 2023

Ex Mizzou 'Hero' QB Blaine Gabbert Saved Family in Helicopter Crash /

Blaine Gabbert was a hero at times for the Missouri Tigers on the football field.

And now, he is a hero off of the football field for a family in distress.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers' backup quarterback took part in an ocean rescue on the Florida coast near his home off of the Davis Islands, where a family had been in a helicopter crash.

That helicopter began to sink, and Gabbert, on his jet ski, was in the area to help assist in bringing the family to shore.

“They slowly brought us back to the shore, a sandy beach near the yacht club, and hung out for a while, were really nice,” passenger Hunter Hupp told FOX Sports. “We exchanged pleasantries upon reaching flat ground. They were really an asset to helping us out, because we were the only ones out there for a while. It was a handshake and a huge and ‘Thank you so much.’ They went out for a nice afternoon ride and just happened to come upon a stranded helicopter family.”

All four passengers in the Helicopter reached shore safely thanks to the reported help from Gabbert.

The former No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Gabbert currently serves as the backup to Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.

But, at least for now, he is the hero in town.

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Published Jan 1, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of MizzouSportsTalk.com, AllAggies.com and LonghornsCountry.com, as well as the Editor-In-Chief of InsideTheBears.com, TheGroveReport.com, RamDigest.com, AllSeahawks.com, and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com