Kitwana Jones, linebacker with the Edmonton Eskimos football team, chased down a thief Tuesday morning. (CBC)A linebacker with the Edmonton Eskimos football team made his first sack of the season early Tuesday morning when he and another man chased down a purse snatcher and held him down until police arrived.

Kitwana Jones was on his way to a player appearance around 6:45 a.m. when he heard a woman screaming for help in the area of 100 Avenue and 103 Street.

Jones and another passerby ran down a man who had taken a laptop computer and purse from the woman and held him until police arrived.

Jones, who is six-feet-tall and weighs 227 pounds, said he was just doing what he had to.

"I don't have too much fear for anything but God, you know what I'm saying," Jones told reporters at football practice Tuesday afternoon. "God put me in that situation ... to help that woman out, and, like, if something bad would have happened to me, I think it would have just been God willing.

"Nothing bad happened to me and the guy's behind bars, everything is good."

"The suspect would likely have gotten away had it not been for the quick thinking of these bystanders," said Det. Bill Allen of Edmonton police.

"Everyone must keep in mind that there's always a chance that weapons could be present, and an innocent person could be injured when trying to make a citizen's arrest."

Terrance Allan Walcott, 29, has been charged with robbery.

The woman's purse and computer were recovered and returned to her.