NFL players, communities rally for hospitalized Bills safety Damar Hamlin
24-year-old had heart re-started twice after cardiac arrest, says family member
With tears beginning to well, Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashad Weaver shook his head and lowered it to his knees, his body swaying as he tried to express what it was like watching friend and former college teammate Damar Hamlin having to be resuscitated back to life on the football field.
“I don’t know, man,” Weaver said Tuesday after sobbing uncontrollably at his locker. “I missed exactly what happened but like five seconds later, seeing the first replay of it, just kind of like everybody else sitting there and holding your breath and figuring out what happened.”
Weaver’s reaction was that of most everyone watching from home and on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night, when Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety, collapsed while going into cardiac arrest after making what appeared to be a routine tackle.
As the second-year Bills player lay sedated in a hospital bed with his family by his side at UC Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition, Hamlin’s competitive and giving spirit was not lost on those who know him.
“All I can say is he’s fighting. He’s a fighter,” Jordon Rooney, Hamlin’s marketing representative, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “The family is in good spirits. We’re obviously just taking it minute by minute, hour by hour.”
Hamlin had heart re-started twice, says family member
Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin’s uncle, told CNN in an televised interview outside the hospital Tuesday that Hamlin needed to have his heart re-started twice — once on the field, and again after he arrived at the hospital. Glenn also provided those details to other outlets, including ESPN and NFL Network.
“They were resuscitating him on the field before they brought him in the hospital and then resuscitated him a second time when he got to the hospital,” Glenn told CNN. “I just want to show my gratitude for the medical staff that were on hand because if not for them, my nephew probably wouldn’t even be here.”
Glenn said he was watching the game with some relatives in Pittsburgh. He arrived in Cincinnati early Tuesday; the cities are about 300 miles apart.
Glenn said there were some encouraging signs, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100% to 50%.
“He’s still sedated right now,” Glenn told CNN. “They just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they feel that if he’s sedated, his body can heal a lot faster than if he was woke and possibly cause other complications.”
The chilling scene, which played out in front of a North American television audience on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” has put the NFL on hold, with the game suspended. That sparked an outpouring of support in placing Hamlin’s life ahead of sports, and pushed to the forefront the generous person he is.
“He has his own clothing brand called Chasing M’s, which is about chasing your dreams and chasing millions,” said Weaver, who spent four years playing alongside Hamlin at the University of Pittsburgh. “And that’s everybody’s goal in life, reaching your dreams.”
Players and fans from across the NFL rallied to Hamlin’s support, with vigils held in Cincinnati and outside the Bills’ home stadium. The shock of what happened also reverberated in Pittsburgh, where the 24-year-old Hamlin grew up and was determined to give back to those in need.
Hamlin’s family expressed gratitude for the support, while asking everyone to keep the player in their prayers.
“We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” Hamlin’s family wrote in a message posted by Rooney on his Twitter account. “Your generosity and compassion has meant the world to us.”
The Bills said Hamlin spent the night in intensive care after his heart stopped when tackling receiver Tee Higgins in the opening quarter against the Bengals. Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance, where he was joined by his mother, with teary-eyed players and coaches on both teams watching helplessly.
“First and foremost, the Bengals continue to send thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family. Our hearts are with everyone in this unprecedented time — what we can do is support one another,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement.
In Buffalo, the Bills changed their social media avatar to that of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey with the words “Pray For Damar.” The other 31 teams and the NFL quickly followed suit.
While some Bills players stayed in Cincinnati to be with their teammate, the rest returned home early Tuesday, when they were greeted by a handful of fans watching silently from the side of the road outside Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The Bills took the day off and were unsure when they might resume practicing, putting Hamlin above everything else, including their quest to clinch the AFC’s top seed.
The NFL’s schedule is now in flux after the game between Buffalo (12-3) and Cincinnati (11-4) — a showdown with AFC playoff race implications — was postponed indefinitely.
Status of postponed game unclear
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed both teams that their game would not resume this week. No decision has been made on whether it will be played at a later date, with the league not making any changes to its Week 18 schedule, a week before the playoffs are set to begin.
Numerous NFL teams cancelled their media availabilities, including the New England Patriots, who are scheduled to travel to Buffalo for the teams’ season finales on Sunday.
“Please pray for our brother,” quarterback Josh Allen posted in a tweet.
Added offensive lineman Rodger Saffold: “He is more than an athlete. He is a son and brother. And I pray God gives him mercy and brings him back to us.”
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hard-scrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth-round of the 2021 draft. He spent his rookie season limited to special teams roles, and took over the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined by a neck injury.
Overnight, Hamlin went from being a relatively unknown backup to receiving an international outpouring of support.
His Chasing M’s Foundation eclipsed its modest goal of raising $2,500 US, topping more than $4 million by Tuesday afternoon.
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