Ready for his close-up! Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, 24, made his first public appearance during the Jan. 31 taping of The Masked Singer alongside the show’s host Nick Cannon, 42. This is the NFL star’s first step back into the spotlight following his tragic Jan. 2 collapse during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. During Tuesday’s show, the 24-year-old rocked a cozy sweatsuit that featured a tan hoodie, red sweatpants, and of course, a football he carried, per the photos originally obtained by TMZ Sports. Meanwhile, the 42-year-old TV personality wowed in a monochromatic pink look that included a coat, matching pink pants, and a sweater vest.
Although there were giant fuzzy red letters of Damar’s name in the background, it has not been revealed why the football safety was a guest on the show. Neither Damar nor the network has commented on his cameo at this time. Despite the little information known on TMS episode, TMZ‘s Michael J. Babcock gave fans some insight via Twitter on Feb. 1. “Damar Hamlin made his first public speaking appearance last night on The Masked Singer. Show hasn’t aired yet. His 7 year old brother is a big fan of the show. The Hamlin’s were a special guest,” he wrote.
As previously mentioned, Damar’s appearance on Tuesday comes nearly one month after he collapsed during the Buffalo vs. Bengals game on Jan. 2. After he tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, he rose up from the hit only to, fall to the ground unconscious, as reported by ESPN. At the time of the incident, Damar was revealed to be in “critical condition”, per the NFL’s official statement. It wasn’t until Jan. 9, that Damar was released from the hospital and returned home to Buffalo, per his Tweet at the time. “Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart. Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling. The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world n more. Bigger than football!”, he wrote.
The Pennsylvania native suffered cardiac arrest and had to be “resuscitated twice“, his Uncle Glenn told CNN last month. “His heart had went out so they had to resuscitate him twice,” Glenn said at the time. “They resuscitated him on the field before they brought him to the hospital and then they resuscitated him a second time when they got him to the hospital.” His family member even revealed how painful it was for Damar’s younger brother, Damir, to see him suffer. “It’s heartbreaking seeing him like that,” he went on. “We were in Pittsburgh watching it on TV and his little brother was there with us and when he seen his brother drop like that… when I tell you I’ve never seen him cry or scream like that.”
Following his health scare last month, Damar recently took to his social media to announce that he partnered with the American Heart Association to raise awareness on CPR practices. “As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field. And CPR could easily save your life or someone you love,” he said in the clip. “That’s why I’m proud to announce that I’m partnering with the American Heart Association and kicking off Damar Hamlin’s Three for Heart CPR Challenge. And of course, this one has three steps.” Damar has been with the Buffalo Bills since the 2021 NFL Draft. Previously, he spent the 2016-20 seasons in Pittsburgh, per the Buffalo Bills website. At this time, it is unclear when Damar will return to the field.