Bears guard Kyle Long isn't surprised that his former Oregon teammate, Keanon Lowe, is being hailed as a hero after tackling a gunman in a high school classroom.
"You never know what you're going to read when you see somebody's name in a headline," Long told ChicagoBears.com. "But when I saw his, I knew it was something good."
Lowe, a receiver at Oregon from 2010-14, is head football and track coach at Parkrose High School near Portland. Last Friday he tackled an 18-year-old male student who had entered a classroom with a shotgun. By the time officers arrived, Lowe had subdued the man without anyone getting hurt.
Police reportedly arrested Angel Granados Dias in connection with the incident. He has been charged with possession of a firearm in a public building, attempting to discharge a firearm at a school, reckless endangerment and possession of a loaded firearm in a public place.
It's horrifying to imagine what might have happened if Lowe hadn't acted as swiftly and decisively as he did.
"He's always been a team player and that's the ultimate team-player move," Long said. "I'm really proud of him and really glad everybody's OK. It's really unfortunate what's going on all over the country with school violence. There is no place for that. Hopefully they figure something out. The country's really lucky to have guys like Keanon Lowe in [schools]."
Lowe sent out three tweets about the incident Saturday, writing:
"When I signed up to be a Security Guard, Football and Track & Field Coach for Parkrose High School, I did so to guide and coach young people whose shoes I had once been in. I had no idea, that I would one day have to put my life on the line like I did yesterday for my students.
"When confronted with the test the universe presented me with, I didn't see any other choice but to act. Thank God, I passed. I've spent the last 24 hours being more appreciative of my family and realizing we have a serious problem.
"I'm blessed to be alive and extremely happy that the students are safe. I'm not sure what's next, I haven't had the time to really think about it. But I am sure I want to be a part of the solution to school gun violence. Thank you."
Long played just one year at Oregon, teaming with Lowe in 2012. Lowe appeared in 43 games over four seasons with the Ducks, catching 68 passes for 891 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"He was a great teammate and a really good player," Long said. "One thing that stood out to me is that he was a tough guy; a nice guy but tough."
