Linebacker Kenneth Murray is expected to lead the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense soon.

The rookie is not only a gifted football player, but also a special person. He cares for his three disabled adoptive siblings and has saved a woman’s life.

There are situations that most people never want to get into. Simply because they do not know whether they would be able to cope with it.

To discover a person on the street, unconscious and bleeding near to death, might be one of these situations. Kenneth Murray, the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, has experienced exactly this.

Suddenly a woman was lying on the sidewalk
It was in July 2019 when he was on his way home from church with his girlfriend. He discovered a woman lying on the pavement. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” says the 21-year-old.

A friend of the accident victim was kneeling over the woman, screaming in desperation and apparently did not know what to do. Murray started CPR, pumped about 70 to 80 times before the woman started breathing again. The paramedics arrived shortly after.

What’s special about this story is not only the heroism itself. The way the linebacker handled it says a lot more about him. Instead of posting the story on the social networks or putting it in a newspaper editor’s pocket, he just kept it to himself – almost as if it was nothing special.

“Two days later I was chilling in the locker room. The media director of our football team came up to me and said: “Hey, did you resuscitate a woman a few days ago? I just said, uh, yes, I did.”

A paperboy had driven past the scene of the accident and recognized Murray – otherwise the story would probably never have come out.

The son of a priest…
Murray wouldn’t have minded. As the son of a priest he knows that it’s about the good deed itself – not about the reactions it causes. Murray is used to taking care of other people – even within his own family.

His parents have adopted three children who suffer from a disability. Two are still unable to communicate with their fellow human beings. At the age of ten, Kenneth Murray made a promise to his father. “Dad,” he said. “If anything ever happens to you and Mom, I’ll take care of them. I’ll make sure they get what they need.”

Even today, his adopted siblings, who are now between 18 and 10 years old, are his top priority: “My siblings, they are my blood. Even though they were adopted, they have practically the same blood as me. I would do anything for them.”

The born defensive player
Did Murray’s special character contribute to the fact that the Los Angeles Chargers wanted him so badly? Anyway, the stakes were high: After the Californians had picked Justin Herbert at position 6, they gave their second and third round pick to the New England Patriots to get the pick 23 and pick Murray.

“He’s a run-hit linebacker,” says Head Coach Anthony Lynn. “He can do things that we really need in cover and also in run defense. He can play inside and outside the box. He is also a born leader and has a passion for the game. He was able to bring that out very well in the discussions.”

General Manager Tom Telesco says “He’s born to play defense.”

Murray promises, “Every Sunday, you’re gonna give it your all
Murray knows about the advance praise: “It says a lot that the Chargers have so much confidence in me that they are praising me. That means a lot to me. If people believe in me so much, I have no choice but to give it my all every Sunday.”

Murray, who played for the Oklahoma Sooners in college, has a winner’s mentality and could be the brains of the Chargers defense for years to come. Last season, the 6’2″, 109-pound athlete had 102 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and four sacks.

His game is based on speed. He moves fast between the sidelines and can stop the ball carrier practically anywhere. However, his understanding of the game is still in need of improvement. There may be situations in the NFL that he is not yet up to.

On the other hand: Murray has proven off the field that he can handle completely different situations.