Six teenage boys, who play high school football in Rome City, became heroes overnight after rescuing a 50-year-old Georgia woman trapped inside her car following a crash.
The boys were on the road to Rome High School that morning when they witnessed the car crash. They ran to the scene and assessed if anyone needed help, especially after hearing the woman cry out for help.
Treyvon Adams, Antwion Carey, Cesar Parker, Messiah Daniels, Tyson Brown, and Alto Moore, who were between 16 and 17 years old, knew they had to act fast as the woman's car was badly damaged. Adams said they used "all our muscles" to pry the car door open.
"We play football, so we lift weights a lot," he said, per CNN, and yet they needed the force of six young men because the door was jammed, bent, and broken.
Teacher witnesses the boys' heroic action
Nearby, Rome High School math teacher Luis Goya heard the loud noise from the crash. He was standing just outside the school as he was ushering the students in.
Goya called 911 to report the incident and then ran to the intersection to check and relay updates to the emergency services as the football players were helping out the victim. The teacher asked the 911 dispatcher to hurry as smoke was coming out of the hood.
The boys also saw the smoke and the fluid leaking from the car. Adams knew the vehicle would catch fire soon, but they didn't worry for their safety. They focused on getting the woman out because that was the right thing.
After about 30 seconds of trying to open the door, they finally pulled the woman to safety, and she was later transported to the hospital by the emergency team. Investigations showed that another driver, a teenager, caused the crash, per USA Today.
Goya said that the school community is proud of the high school football boys and that their heroic act was the positive news they needed.
PROUD of our MEN! 🐺 https://t.co/E3XJaMzRs9
— 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 (@FootballRome) August 12, 2022
The community recognizes high school football boys
On Monday, August 22, the football athletes were recognized by the Rome Police Department, the Rome Fire Department, the Rome City Schools, and the Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center. During a morning ceremony at the Georgia school, the boys were commended by the president of Atrium Health Floyd, Kurt Stuenkel. He said the boys would be Honorary First Responders, per 11 Alive. Stuenkel handed out certificates to the teenagers.
After the car crash, Adams said he would consider becoming a firefighter after graduating high school. Admittedly, the 16-year-old athlete said he's "not very good with blood," but he knows he can be helpful in emergencies.
John Reid, Rome High School Athletic Director and the football team's head coach, said that the boys took advantage of their football training as it not only involves getting better at the sport but also having the discipline and making the right choices. He's also proud of the six who made the right choice to rescue the woman.
