"I ran up those stairs like a running back for the Colts" - NFL fan hailed a hero for saving children from burning building

Nicholas Bostic, Colts fan who saved children from house fire
Nicholas Bostic, Colts fan who saved children from house fire

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts, like every other fanbase in professional sports, look upon their players as heroes. They are "sporting heroes." Meanwhile, real heroes are the individuals in society who put their lives on the line to protect others. One such real hero is Colts fan Nicholas Bostic.

Bostic, a 25-year-old from Lafayette, Indiana, was driving home from work at around 12:30 AM on Monday, July 11, when he came across a house fire. Disregarding his own safety, he entered the property multiple times in order to rescue the five children who were inside.

Speaking to Dave Bangert on Substack, Bostic explained what happened after he had spotted the fire:

“I hollered and eventually went inside. There was no smoke, and lights were on in the house, which looked like it already had been evacuated. I hollered some more and was halfway up the stairs to the second floor when I saw four people coming down."

After finding out that someone remained inside, Bostic said:

"I went room to room, checking under beds, around desks, behind doors and in closets. Anywhere I could think, I mean, I was high-tailing it, 110%. It started to get hard to see, because the smoke was getting bad. … I don’t know how to explain it, but it was like I accepted I was going to probably die, right there, that night."

After locating a young child on the first floor of the house, he then described his daring escape:

"I picked her up and put her against this shoulder. I looked to get out through the front or back door, but... couldn’t see them, anymore, through the smoke. I looked upstairs and saw a bit of light, and remembered seeing a window in a second-floor bedroom on the east side of the house and figured that might be the only way out."
Bostic went onto describe how he "ran up those stairs like a running back for the Colts" before jumping through a second-floor window.

He injured his arm and ankle in the fall. He was later treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation. The little girl was miraculously uninjured.

The NFL world reacts to Nick's heroics

Bostic has been praised for his heroic actions. Several players, past and present, from his beloved Indianapolis Colts have taken to social media to express their admiration for the pizza delivery driver.

Former Colts punter turned WWE personality Pat McAfee described Nick as an "incredible human":

Current Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor called Nick a "true hero":

Another Indy running back, Nyheim Hines, posted this touching message:

As Pat McAfee said, "incredible humans are slying walking among us." Bostic definitely falls into that category.


If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Dave Bangert, Substack and H/T Sportskeeda.


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Edited by Windy Goodloe