Chiefs defender Thompson ‘awake and alert’ after cardiac arrest

The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs say lineman BJ Thompson is “going in absolutely the right direction” a day after suffering sudden cardiac arrest.

The Chiefs canceled all team activities on Thursday after Thompson suffered an epileptic seizure during a meeting and went into cardiac arrest.

Rick Burkholder, the NFL team’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, gave a positive update on Thompson’s condition after the team’s practice on Friday.

“He’s alert, he’s awake and he’s getting through it quite well,” said Burkholder. “He’s absolutely on the right track.”

Thompson, a 25-year-old defensive end selected in the fifth round of last year’s NFL Draft, played one game and made two tackles for the Chiefs last season as the club won its second consecutive Super Bowl title.

Chief medical staff worked to stabilize Thompson until an ambulance arrived, and Burkholder praised their efforts.

“Our players, our security personnel, our coaching staff and everyone involved have handled the crisis phenomenally,” Burkholder said, adding that Chiefs personnel rehearsed an NFL-mandated emergency plan on Monday.

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