NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has cleared up the confusion surrounding reports that he saved a group of passengers on a flight from Texas to Pittsburgh earlier this week.
The 76-year-old legend was allegedly involved in an incident where he helped open a stuck plane door, but Bradshaw is now speaking out to set the record straight.
Bradshaw Clarifies What Really Happened
According to initial reports, the plane’s door was stuck for nearly 30 minutes after it arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport.
It was claimed that Bradshaw, sitting in the front row, was the one who forced it open.
However, Bradshaw took to Instagram on Friday to clarify that he had no role in opening the door.
“Just to set the record straight, I did nothing to open the door on the plane! The maintenance crew had it open in 15 minutes,” he wrote, distancing himself from the exaggerated claims.
Passengers Thought He Was the Hero
Despite Bradshaw’s clarification, some fellow passengers still believed he had intervened to help. One passenger, Selah Gamble, told KDKA that the pilot gave a shoutout to a “strong” passenger who supposedly opened the door.
“You could kind of hear he was chuckling as he said it,” Gamble said.
“He said, ‘Thanks to the strength of one of our passengers, we were finally able to get the door open,’ and I think we all knew he was alluding to Mr. Bradshaw.”
Another passenger admitted to joking earlier that Bradshaw, at his age, might be too old to help with the door.
“The guy next to me had made the joke that they should have him bust down the door, and I was like, ‘Well maybe he could a few years ago,'” they recalled. “So I’m definitely eating my words.”
Bradshaw’s Upcoming Plans and Career
Bradshaw was flying to Pittsburgh for a special event—the Mel Blount celebrity roast, where he was set to serve as Master of Ceremonies.
The event also marked the celebration of the Steelers’ first Super Bowl win, a team Bradshaw famously led to four Super Bowl victories during his legendary career.
These days, Bradshaw is a familiar face on Fox Sports, but he recently revealed that he plans to retire from broadcasting in 2029.
“It’s a young man’s game. I get that,” he said. “Everybody wants the new.”
Bradshaw’s contribution to the NFL both as a player and in his current broadcasting career remains unmatched, and while he may not have opened any plane doors, his influence continues to be felt far and wide.