Jeri Fouts had QB1 and QB2 on her side when she was stuck in an elevator in Dallas.

Fouts, the wife of legendary Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts, was stranded with 14 others, most of them Chargers, as she headed toward the exit of the team hotel the night before Los Angeles’ 26-19 victory over the Cowboys in their final preseason game on Saturday.

Among those she was crammed with was Justin Herbert, the Chargers’ current best quarterback.

While Fouts’ husband is their No. 1 quarterback, Herbert is clearly No. 2. He is a longtime friend of the Fouts family and both quarterbacks are stars at Oregon.

This bond between the families became even stronger after their terrible experiences.

“Justin and I only had cell reception to call for help,” Fouts said. “I got through to Dan, Justin got through to Arthur Hightower of the Chargers and they called 911. Dan walked us through the scene from the outside.”

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Dan Fouts was on hand to televise the Chargers game.

In the cramped room, voices from the outside world promised over the telephone loudspeakers that help was on the way.

But those weren’t guarantees, as time showed. Herbert kept everyone calm rather than panicking, Fouts said.

Herbert showed his leadership skills by keeping people calm despite their precarious situation, which was made worse by the heat and humidity, lack of air conditioning and lack of oxygen.

“Two and a half hours on your feet in these hot temperatures and with very little air,” said Fouts. “Then you had to climb out on a narrow ladder. Someone could have fainted trying to find their way in the unfamiliar tight spaces on the elevator cars. They told us not to look up or down.”

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh learned of the accident and his Pro Bowl quarterback’s reaction, and it only increased his high regard for Herbert.

“The most remarkable thing that came out of it was the young rookie players saying, ‘Justin Herbert is a leader. He was a rock. He calmed everyone down,'” Harbaugh told the media. “Jeri Fouts told me the same thing and took me aside after they came out and told me how great Justin was. And everyone kept their composure.”

Fouts, who was held up with her son, Ryan, had two quarterbacks frantically trying to get out of a troubling situation. Understanding pass coverage is one thing; extricating guys stuck between the eighth and third floors is another.

“We were so lucky that we didn’t have any babies, children or people with limited mobility,” Fouts said. “One has asthma, so I worked with him on his breathing and, since there is no air circulation, I was fanning him almost the entire time.”

Fouts mode a breeze?

A birthday card for Chargers Hall of Fame member Louis Kelcher as he and his wife Mary Lynne met with the couple for dinner.

“Luckily, I had the card in my purse,” Fouts said. “It was so hot in there it was like a steam room, and we were lucky that no one passed out. When I gave the card to Louie later, it was very emotional because that card saved us.”

Everyone was lucky to escape unharmed, although there were some tense moments.

Initial reports said that rescue workers rescued them by climbing through the roof of the stranded car and transferring to a neighboring car, which took them to the third floor.

This is not the picture Fouts paints as they exited their stuck elevator, as there was no working emergency phone.

And even though the alarm went off, the vehicle could not penetrate the concrete bunker of an express elevator slide.

“Because it was an express train, there were no openings to other floors,” she said. “It was just a concrete wall, so there was hardly any air circulation. That’s when we knew we were in trouble.”

There was talk that rescue workers would rescue them from the 24th floor. Instead, another elevator was sent down and positioned to transport them, but only after the roof had been ripped open and passengers climbed up a retractable ladder in the dim light.

Fouts climbed barefoot, taking off her heeled shoes to keep her balance.

“We had to take a big step between the cars and then go down the top four at a time, holding on to cables and each other,” she said. “When I think about it now, I’m a bit shocked that we weren’t strapped in or buckled up. Just a fireman’s hand to hold on to in the semi-dark shaft.”

Fittingly, Fouts’ late father, Fred Martin, was a long-serving and decorated captain of the Long Beach, California Fire Department. His nickname was “Fearless Fred,” and that strengthened Fouts’ resolve as she thought of her heroic father.

“The Dallas Fire Department sends a deep salute,” said Harbaugh, who invited his crew to dinner. “Without the Dallas Fire Department, things could have been much worse. Many more hours could have passed. Who knows how it would have turned out.”

When the desperate group finally reached safety, most of them were drenched in sweat. Except for a certain quarterback who was known for his cool demeanor.

“Justin Herbert’s hair was a little wet, but his shirt was completely dry,” Harbaugh said. “That was another thing that blew me away. The guy is just a beast.”

Dan Fouts, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and Harbaugh greeted the group with a series of long hugs as they reached the third floor.

Now the Chargers’ opening game on September 8th against the Las Vegas Raiders is coming up, where Harbaugh will return to the NFL and Herbert can show that he is fit after a foot injury.

But only after a story that bordered on tragedy and had a happy ending.

“It was a miracle that Justin and I had phone reception,” Fouts said. “If Dan hadn’t called 911 to tell them we were in there, no one would have known for a long time. If we had been in there an extra hour or two, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Having two tough quarterbacks is never a burden. Fouts can attest to that, as her husband orchestrates the plans from the outside and Herbert does the same from the inside.

“We had two quarterbacks leading us,” Fouts said. “I was lucky to have both of them.”

When they reached safe harbor, Herbert did something that did not surprise Fouts.

“Like a ship’s captain,” she said, “he came out last.”