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Fans gave NFL linebacker Jesse Luketa a lift to the game after he got a flat tire

By Manuela López Restrepo
Published November 30, 2023 at 4:46 PM EST
The Phillips family with their new favorite player, Jesse Luketa.
J.W. Phillips
The Phillips family with their new favorite player, Jesse Luketa.

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jesse Luketa was stuck at a gas station with less than an hour before he needed to be at the stadium for Sunday's game. He decided to get resourceful.

Who are they? Well, Luketa is a football player from Ottawa. But it was the Phillips family who came to the rescue when he encountered some car troubles.

What's the big deal?

I mean, doesn't it sound like some zany turn of events you'd see in an early 2000s Disney movie about family, friendship and the power of football? Or a Mastercard commercial?
  • Luketa got a flat tire at a gas station in Phoenix with just 45 minutes left to get to the stadium in Glendale for his game last Sunday against the Rams.
  • He realized he'd have to act fast to make it to work on time. That's when he noticed some fans in Cardinals gear at the pump near him, and asked if they'd give him a ride.
  • And they did! Luketa made it to the game, the Phillips family got some free tickets to see their team play again, and yes, the Cardinals did end up losing that day.

Luketa runs with teammates during training camp practice in July.
Ross D. Franklin / AP
/
AP
Luketa runs with teammates during training camp practice in July.

Want more on sports? Listen to Consider This on the controversy with NFL sports betting.

What did they have to say about it? J.W. Phillips, the father of the clan and the driver of the carpool, spoke with All Things Considered host Juana Summers about the surreal experience.

On believing Luketa at first:

On the ride to the stadium:

On what his kids thought:

So, what now?

  • While Phillips and Luketa haven't spoken since that fateful day, Phillips confirmed that Luketa was able to get that pesky tire fixed.
  • In about 36 months, there will probably be a Netflix movie about this chance encounter.

Learn more:

The interview for this story was conducted by Juana Summers, produced by Emma Klein and edited by Tinbete Ermyas. contributed to this story

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Manuela López Restrepo
Manuela López Restrepo is a producer and writer at All Things Considered. She's been at NPR since graduating from The University of Maryland, and has worked at shows like Morning Edition and It's Been A Minute. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Martin.