Burgess's South Sydney Rabbitohs were at the Sydney Fish Markets on Friday for a team bonding session when the incident occurred, Fox Sports reported.
A staff member from a restaurant joined the players but was gasping for breath when a piece of food became stuck in his throat. Burgess then rushed to the man's aid and helped him swallow it.
"He saved this life," Fox Sports quoted a witness as saying. "Another 30 seconds and it could have gone either way."
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Sydney Fish Market also hailed Burgess's actions.
"All we can say is that @SamBurgess8 is a true #hero. And we are not talking about on the footy field," it said on Twitter.
The Rabbitohs' 27-year-old English import said he was happy to be of help.
"@SydFishMarket @SSFCRABBITOHS glad I could help. I hope everyone is ok. Thanks for having us today," tweeted the code-switching international.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
