BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Oregon tackle Mark Asper says he performed a Heimlich maneuver on a man who bit off more than he could chew at an annual pre-Rose Bowl dinner.
Asper had been eating dinner with teammates during the Beef Bowl at Lawry's restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., Wednesday evening when he noticed commotion at a nearby table and saw the man choking, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A Lawry's chef tried to do the Heimlich on the victim but failed to dislodge the meat.
"He looked like he was struggling with it," Asper said, "so I stood up and patted him on the back and said, 'If you don't know what you're doing, I do, because I'm an Eagle Scout.'"
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Asper sprung into action.
"I ripped in there and the first heave was a test heave because the guy seemed a little old," Asper said. "I didn't want to break his ribs or anything. Test heave, then he seemed like he could handle a full force heave so I popped it out."
Asper said "a big piece of Lawry's beef" came out the mouth of the man, later identified as Paul Diamond, the father of an Oregon student.
Diamond credited Asper for giving him "a proper Heimlich bear hug" to help him cough up the beef.
