Former Gators quarterback Eric Kresser saves man's life

South Fla. football coach performs CPR on man who stopped breathing at Starbucks

Jupiter resident and former Florida Gators quarterback Eric Kresser is being hailed a hero for saving the life of a man who stopped breathing at a Starbucks in West Virginia. Courtesy of UAA Communications

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A former University of Florida football player is being credited with saving the life of a man who stopped breathing at a Starbucks in West Virginia.

Eric Kresser was at a Starbucks in Huntington, West Virginia, on Saturday when he found himself performing CPR on a man who fell to the floor and was turning blue when Kresser revived him, according to a report by The Herald-Dispatch.

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"I thought he was gone, and he probably was," Kresser, who lives in Jupiter, told the newspaper. "We got him on his back and he had no pulse and wasn't breathing, so I performed CPR."

Kresser, who is a football coach in Palm Beach County, was required to be certified in CPR, but he had never put his training to use until Saturday.

"I just did what I was taught to do," Kresser said. "The kids I teach don't want to go to their CPR class. They'd rather play basketball or something. Maybe this will help them understand how important it is."

Kresser said the man eventually started breathing again by the time paramedics arrived.

The shift supervisor at Starbucks rewarded Kresser and his wife with free coffee, but he didn't know that the customer's savior was a former college and NFL quarterback.

Kresser played for the Gators under former coach Steve Spurrier from 1992-95, but he transferred to Marshall for his redshirt senior season and led the Thundering Herd to a national championship in 1996. He went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1997-99.


About the Author:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.