Former Maryland linebacker and hopeful pro player Cole Farrand could make the next 15 Pro Bowls, rack up 10 sacks a season and win a few NFL titles, and he still wouldn’t top what he did earlier this week.
That’s because Farrand, who joined the Giants in 2015 after leaving school but was ultimately unable to crack the team’s permanent roster, may have saved a man’s life in New Jersey Monday morning.
According to a Facebook post from a woman named Jill Lapham Rotta and multiple reports, the situation started when Farrand was told by his parents that a house down the street from his family’s was on fire. Reacting quickly to the news, the 24-year-old went to check on the emergency and came across a woman whose husband was stuck by a second-floor window, unable to escape.
That’s when Farrand returned to his home to fetch a ladder, which he then brought back to the scene. He fortunately was able to use the ladder to help the man down to safety, just before the entire building went up in flames.
“Heartbroken but so very blessed no one was hurt!” Rotta, who owns the home and was renting it to the couple Farrand assisted, wrote on Facebook. “Thanks to EVERYONE from the GPVFD, First Aid Squad, Rockaway FD and every other fire department that showed up at our home to try and put the fire out last night/this morning. Most important thank you Cole Farrand for rescuing our tenants from the roof and getting them to safety!”
In a follow-up interview with Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, Farrand said he doesn’t want to be labeled as a hero. From the sound of things, however, he certainly comes across as one.
