A couple got stuck with a vehicle after the game. Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gillotte and friends helped push it.
The incident followed Kansas City’s 33-30 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday night. Kicker Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal sealed the game after nearly a dozen lead changes or ties, according to the Kansas City Chiefs. Gillotte later helped the couple with the stuck vehicle.
Gillotte offered to push, and his family and friends joined him. His mother, Veronica Gillotte, took a photo of the effort that was later shared on a Chiefs fan account, The Athletic reported. The couple did not realize the player helping them was a Chiefs player.
A Heavier Lift Than Expected
The Athletic reported that Gillotte found the van heavier than expected and described the effort as an extra workout after the game. He had played 16 of his 28 defensive snaps in the fourth quarter and overtime, when the Chiefs defense made two critical stops, the outlet reported. It was his second game back after missing most of training camp with a foot injury.
Pre-draft testing gave Gillotte a 9.74 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10.00, ranking 53rd out of 2,029 defensive end prospects evaluated between 1987 and 2025, according to data compiled by Kent Lee Platte's RAS system.
From Louisville Standout To Kansas City
Kansas City selected Gillotte with the No. 66 overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, per the Kansas City Chiefs. At Louisville, he racked up 26.5 career sacks and 41.0 tackles for loss across 51 games, good for sixth and fifth in program history respectively, according to Sports Illustrated.
Gillotte also recorded his first career interception by picking off Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, per NFL.com.
A Habit Built Long Before The NFL
Gillotte's post-game assist outside Arrowhead tracks with a pattern of giving back that predates his time in the league. While at Louisville, he donated much of his name, image and likeness money to a local school and food bank, and he launched a Salute to Service program that provided home game tickets to more than 50 military veterans, an initiative inspired by his father's service in the U.S. Marine Corps and an uncle who served in Iraq, according to reporting cited by WDRB. He was also named a 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy finalist and became Louisville's first-ever NFF National Scholar-Athlete after graduating magna cum laude in communications in three and a half years, per the National Football Foundation.
Roadside pushes like the one outside Arrowhead aren't without real risk. Manually moving a disabled vehicle can go wrong quickly, as seen earlier this month when Hoodline reported that police officers in Tukwila, Washington, had to manually lift a rolling car off a motorist who became pinned during a 4 a.m. attempt to push it uphill. In this case, Gillotte and his group managed to get the van clear of traffic without incident, leaving the couple to wait safely for a tow.
Help for Disabled Vehicles at Arrowhead
Arrowhead Stadium’s published game-day guidance says guests with car trouble can call Chiefs Fan Experience at 816-920-4237 to request tow service, though service may be limited during peak arrival and departure periods; the guidance does not say whether the couple used that option. For breakdowns generally, the Missouri Department of Transportation advises drivers to move a vehicle as far out of traffic as possible, if they can, and use emergency flashers or a distress sign. That general advice does not establish the specific safety conditions in Arrowhead’s parking area.
