Damar Hamlin’s Friend & Manager Insists NFL Star Is A ‘Fighter’ As He Remains Sedated
Jordon Rooney said that the NFL player’s family has been “strong” and “supportive” as he undergoes treatment, after going into cardiac arrest.
Update (1/3/23 1:43 p.m. EST): The Buffalo Bills gave fans an update on Damar’s health on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. “Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center,” the team wrote. “We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far.”
Original: Damar Hamlin’s friend and representative Jordon Rooney spoke about the Buffalo Bills player’s condition as he remains in medical care after collapsing on the field after being tackled during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, January 2. Jordon, who has been close with the NFL player for a number of years, said that Damar, 24, woke up briefly but was currently sedated during an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, January 3.
“He’s fighting. He’s a fighter.” — @jordonr, a family spokesperson for Damar Hamlin, shares an update after the Buffalo Bills player collapsed on the field on Monday night. https://t.co/UJDqTL9GDk pic.twitter.com/9P5G8dCfUs
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 3, 2023
While Jordon didn’t speak about Damar’s medical condition, he did share that the family was closely monitoring him. “What I can say is he’s fighting. He’s a fighter,” he said. “He was awake [earlier], and now he’s sedated. So, the family’s in good spirits. We’re honestly just taking it minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour.”
GMA anchor Robin Roberts asked Jordon about how Damar’s family was handling the situation. ” His family’s remarkable. They are a tremendous group of people. They’re strong. They’re supportive. Obviously, they’re worried. Damar is very close with his family,” Jordon explained.
Jordon also spoke about how he and Damar got close. He said that as a Division One football player he’d reached out and asked about interning because of his interest in exploring different opportunities. “He interned for me, so then we just became super, super close. We’re partners in a business together. We collaborate on a lot of things, and we’re really good friends,” he said.
The representative for the family also said that while they appreciated the outpouring of support for Damar and his loved ones, he did remind fans that the family still deserves privacy. “I think what’s most important is to give the family their privacy. It’s tough when you see someone on TV or you watch someone play a sport, you kind of don’t view them as a human a lot of times,” he said. “This is a human being. His family is going through a lot right now. I think it’s important for everyone to remember that this is a person, and his family is just trying to work through everything.”
Damar collapsed on the field after he was tackled during the first quarter of the Monday Night Football game between the Bills and the Bengals. He was administered CPR on the field and taken to a hospital. The game was postponed after play was suspended for an hour. The Bills gave an update on Damar’s condition on Twitter. “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition,” the team wrote.