A Buffalo man who helped save 24 people during the deadly snowstorm in the city last month was gifted Super Bowl tickets.

Jay Withey became known as “Merry Christmas Jay”.  He was surprised with the tickets by Buffalo Bills legendary running back Thurman Thomas on Friday.

On Christmas eve, Withey broke the window of a school to seek shelter after sleeping a night in his truck with two other people.

Once inside, he went back out into the blizzard to search for other people stuck in their vehicles. He ended up helping 22 more people and brought them to safety inside the school. 

He earned the nickname “Merry Christmas Jay” after leaving a note inside the school explaining his actions.

Since receiving the tickets, Withey says he’s surprised how many people have reached out to him, including people in Australia.