The undefeated team was headed home to Idaho Tuesday when it witnessed an SUV rollover in Oregon and gained national spotlight for its heroics -- saving the couple trapped inside.
"They got out of the car like they were supposed to do that," team coach Rudy Jackson told The Idaho Statesman. "It's a great bunch of kids."
Margaret Hardman was driving her husband, Alan Hardman, to the Boise area from Winnemucca, Nevada, for a medical procedure, according to the Statesman.
The Malheur County Sheriff's Office said the crash was likely caused by high winds, according to the Statesman. Alan Hardman was sleeping and when he awoke, his wife had overcorrected and lost control of their Jeep. It flipped over on the side of the road, leaving her pinned inside.
A van with players was about 300 feet away when they saw the Jeep rollover. A player's father first checked the scene before getting about six offensive linemen to come over and help, according to the Statesman.
They were able to help out Alan Hardman without too much difficulty. Margaret Hardman, however, was still stuck inside.
Within about 30 minutes, a second bus filled with 12 more players arrived. They were able to raise the vehicle enough to get her out.
“We literally thought there was nothing we could do. It looked like she was crushed," Orlando Clay, a player’s father who cut the woman's seat belt, told the Statesman. "It was surreal. (When she was free), it was a bunch of hugs.”
A responding deputy had car trouble and was unable to reach the scene until an hour after the call. The team was already gone by then, according to the Statesman.
"By the time our deputy got there, we didn't even know about (the rescue)," Malheur County Undersheriff Travis Johnson told the Statesman.
"It just felt amazing that we could do what we did, because I don't want to imagine what would happen if we were not there to help," said Regan Magill, a player on the team, told the Statesman.
The couple are expected to recover. They suffered broken bones and minor cuts and bruises.
"I'll tell you what -- I don't know how we would have done it without them," Alan Hardman told the Statesman. "They didn't even hesitate."
The team met with the couple Thursday.
"(We wanted to see them) because they were OK. They survived," Atonio Fifita, a player, told the Statesman. "We just wanted to see them better than they were before."
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