A pair of NFL players are being credited with helping save a man's life after a harrowing accident in Colorado over the weekend.

Former Stanford star Christian McCaffrey and his brothers Dylan and Max, who is currently a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, were hiking Castle Rock near his hometown of Highlands Ranch when they witnessed a man fall nearly 20 feet onto a rock.

"It felt like he was in the air for 10 seconds," Christian McCaffrey told Panthers.com. "I had never seen anything quite like that in my life as far as the trauma and the sound. We were in shock."

He and his friends hurried to help the 72-year-old victim, Dan Smoker Sr., and his 13-year-old grandson, Eli. McCaffrey called 911 while another friend performed chest compressions on Smoker when he stopped breathing. Paramedics soon arrived; Smoker had a broken neck, femur and pelvis, bleeding on his brain, nine fractured ribs and internal bleeding.

Thanks to the quick assistance of McCaffrey, his friends and first responders, Smoker is now in critical but stable condition.

"Looking back on this whole picture, I'm very confident that this group of folks saved my dad's life," Smoker's son, Dan, told the Denver Post. "We're indebted to all of those folks."

In addition to helping Smoker, they comforted Eli, who was understandably traumatized by what was unfolding. When his phone battery died, the group made sure he had another phone with which to stay in contact with his parents

"Because of Michael Mann, @notoriousmax25, @run__cmc and a few other amazing folks, my 13yo son isn't telling a story about how he went on a hike with his grandpa and his grandpa died," Smoker's son Dan tweeted. "He's telling a story of strength, hope, and human goodness."

Christian McCaffrey, who now plays for the Carolina Panthers, has since been to the hospital to visit Smoker. Once at the hospital, the Smokers recognized the Heisman runner-up from his days as a local high school standout. McCaffrey has been texting frequently with Eli, making sure he's doing OK and asking for updates on his grandfather's condition.

"We all took it upon ourselves to check up on that kid," McCaffrey said. "It could be a lifelong bond between us. He experienced a lot in those five minutes."