Broncos Legend Survives Scary Near-Death Moment After Rescuing Man From Burning Car

In the late 1990s, a Broncos linebacker wasn’t the first name on fans’ lips, but to his teammates, he was always the one who showed up. Over more than 11 seasons with the Jets, Broncos, and Chiefs, he became one of the toughest defensive backs. He was part of the Broncos’ two Super Bowl wins. And now, years after leaving the game, he has shown again that toughness wasn’t just for the field. Glenn Cadrez, who is still considered a hero on the gridiron, even if he doesn’t like to call himself one, hit the headlines with a bravery act.

Glenn Cadrez was driving home on August 23 from his son Kannon’s Pop Warner game in California after a pizza party. At 9:30 p.m., about two miles from his off–ramp, he saw something no one wants to see. A black BMW M4 lost control, hit a concrete divider, and crashed head-on into another car (a white Nissan Sentra). Cadrez turned his truck, hit the brakes, and quickly jumped out. He ran straight toward the car, knowing the seconds that followed could mean life or death. He approached the burning BMW and saw the driver lying inside. Cadrez somehow managed to pull him out. He said, “My only thought was, ‘I have to get this guy out.’“

“It happened so quick,” Cadrez went on, still shocked by how closely he witnessed the disaster. “I was like, ‘What the (heck) was that?’ Then it slammed into the car, maybe two seconds in front of me. Just boom!” He also talked about how his usual lane choice could have put him directly in the path of the collision. But on this night, with his kids following him in another car, he had chosen a slower middle lane. That decision may have saved him. 

“I couldn’t see really anything in the car, not even the passenger seat, just the silhouette of the driver,” Cadrez recalled, describing how frightening the scene was. The driver seemed to have a broken leg and was in a lot of pain. Instead of blocking traffic, Cadrez pulled him from the wreckage. ”I was able to get him out, and another guy showed up and we moved him away. A few seconds later, the car was fully engulfed.”

“My only thought was, ‘I have to get this guy out.’” — former Broncos Super Bowl champion Glenn Cadrez

From @TroyRenck https://t.co/LTOwxVhJVj

 (@PostBroncos) September 1, 2025

The driver managed to survive but with severe injuries. Three of his passengers, a female of 23 years and two teenagers, were unable to survive. And the other car’s driver also died. That loss bothered Cadrez. ”It was really hard to hear that……It’s so sad,” he admitted, noting how personal the pain felt. As a father of two children, the tragedy of those teens dying struck him more than anything else.

 “So it kinda hit a little harder the next day, and I hope he is okay,” Cadrez said. While some were viewing him as a hero, Cadrez responded that he does not place himself in that category. “It was nothing more than a common decency act,” he asserted, and that he just happened to be at the right place and at the right time. To him, it was just something that any human being would have done.

Beyond football: Courage and life’s bigger picture

Former teammates weren’t surprised by his heroism. Hall of Famer Steve Atwater called him immediately: “He saved a young man’s life!…Glenn was an awesome teammate, a great player.” Others like Howard Griffith and Alfred Williams also spoke highly of his selflessness and intelligence.

The truth is, that’s who Cadrez was destined to be. His career achievements include 252 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and nine forced fumbles. But his legacy is more than just statistics. With the Broncos, he was one of the leaders who knew every defensive position and helped hold together a championship–level team.

“Glenn was an absolute rock star teammate,” Griffith stated. “He showed us what it is to be tough and committed.” Cadrez also remembers the course of his football career fondly. He had the full arc of an NFL dream. “Living in the great city of New York and all that, it was an experience for a young guy,” Cadrez said. But today, his life beyond football is equally a large part of who he is. He is a father, a coach, and a man who still flies a Broncos flag on Sundays.

Cadrez carries his competitive fire with him in the way he lives and the love he shows his family. That’s what made the events of that August night so personal. For all the memories he’s made under the floodlights, it was a dark highway. Not a gridiron, that showed the real Glenn Cadrez. And even though he says he’s “not a hero,” his actions say more about being brave than anything on or off the field.