This Thanksgiving, Anthony Lynn is returning to Dallas where he nearly lost his life 12 years ago because of a drunk driver. The current Chargers head coach spent two seasons a running backs coach with the Cowboys.
Anthony Lynn returns to Dallas to play Cowboys 12 years after being hit by drunk driver
The Chargers coach is thankful to be alive after a drunk driver nearly killed him 12 years ago in Dallas.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
On The MMQB podcast with Peter King, Lynn talked about what he was grateful for this Thanksgiving: his life.
“Back in 2005 I was with the Dallas Cowboys in training camp. On the last day of camp Todd Haley, the wide receivers coach on the team, and I go out for a pizza and a pop. Walking back to the vehicle, walking across the street, I got hit by a drunk driver.”
Lynn detailed that the car was going anywhere between 55 and 60 miles per hour when he was hit, and the driver’s blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit.
“He hit me, and they said I flew 45-50 feet in the air across the street, landed on a Volkswagen, and totaled the car that I landed on.”
Lynn added, “Thank God the car was there. If I hit the concrete, maybe I wouldn’t be here today.”
He also mentioned how thankful he was for the Dallas Cowboys organization, and specifically Jerry Jones, for how they responded to the accident.
“I’ll never forget how they stepped up and helped me and my family make that time as easy and convenient as possible for us by bringing food to the house and just working with me every day and getting back to work and doing my job,” he said. “Jerry will always have a soft spot in my heart because he was there for me.”
Lynn talked about how it’s cool to go back to Dallas to play the Cowboys, especially because he’s from the area. He spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the running backs coach, and while he’s had many other coaching stops, none of his teams have ever played at Dallas until this Thanksgiving.
Lynn is in his first season as a head coach, after taking over as the interim coach for the Bills in 2016, and then for Mike McCoy on a permanent basis in Los Angeles. The Cowboys are hosting the Chargers in their annual Thanksgiving game, where the Cowboys are 30-18-1 all time.
He said that he couldn’t end the interview without mentioning his mother and her influence on him and in his recovery. “I’m sure there’s a lot more I can be thankful for, but for right now, I think that’s plenty.”
See More:
