- Damar Hamlin, who plays for the Buffalo Bills, collapsed during the team’s Jan. 2, 2023 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
- The 24-year-old safety tackled another player, and although he initially stood up, he fell to the ground on the field and suffered cardiac arrest
- CPR was administered for 10 minutes before Damar was taken off the field in an ambulance.
- Damar was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Jan. 9, 2023, and transferred to Buffalo General hospital where he is currently being monitored and undergoing testing, per the official NFL website.
- Damar was released and approved to undergo rehab with his team and at home from the Buffalo General Hospital on Jan. 11, 2023.
The Jan. 2, 2023, NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals came to a grinding halt after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. Mid-way through the first quarter, Damar, 24, tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, but upon rising up from the hit, he fell to the ground unconscious, as reported by ESPN.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin remained down on the field after a scary hit.
According to the broadcast, medical personnel have administered CPR. pic.twitter.com/JKCWmfzaLT
— ESPN (@espn) January 3, 2023
Medical personnel rushed to the field and he was administered CPR, before being given oxygen and taken to the hospital. Game play was temporarily suspended at 9:18 pm before the game was officially postponed by the league at 10:01 pm EST. Not long after, the NFL revealed he was in “critical condition” in a statement. The Buffalo Bills also provided an update about Damar’s condition on Twitter. “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” the team wrote. “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.”
One week after the incident, Damar was officially released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Jan. 9, 2023, and later transferred to Buffalo General hospital where he is currently being monitored and undergoing testing, per the official NFL website. One of the athlete’s doctors, Dr. William Knight, released the following statement on Monday. “I traveled with him to the airport this morning with our UC Health air care and local care crew, including teammates that were with us on the field when Damar Hamlin collapsed,” Dr. Knight began. “He landed safely and, as standard with anybody who has gone through what he’s gone through this past week and certainly after flying on a plane, he’s going to be observed and monitored to ensure that there’s no impact on the flight of his condition or on his lungs.”
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! 🫶🏾
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 9, 2023
The medical provider added that Damar is on the road to recovery and doing well. “Dr. [Timothy] Pritts and I have spoken extensively with his air team in Buffalo, and I can confirm that he’s doing well and this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” he continued. “Since our last update to you, Damar Hamlin has met a number of key milestones on his journey to recovery.”
An amazing Damar Hamlin update. ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/GyP2uDQry0
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 11, 2023
Just two days after being transferred, Damar was approved to safely leave the Buffalo General Medical Center on Wednesday, January 11. Critical care physician Jamie Nadler, MD released a statement saying that he showed signs of improvement. “We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” he said.
Damar also took to Twitter on Jan. 8 and 9th to update his fans on this condition and share his gratitude for the support. “Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC. Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home!”, he tweeted on Jan. 9. He also added, “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!”
While we wait to learn more about the pro football player’s ongoing health matters, here are five things to know about Damar Hamlin.
1. He collapsed after a major block
Damar fell after tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins at 8:55 pm, with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter. Though he initially seemed to be fine, he then collapsed to the turf unconscious. He was down on the field for over 9 minutes, during which time he was administered CPR and given oxygen. Around 16 minutes after the injury, he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center’s level 1 trauma center at 9:25 pm, per ESPN.
The league released a statement about an hour after the incident. It said, “Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition. “Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available. The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”
2. His team and family are supporting him
After the incident, his family, who was in the crowd watching, came down from the stands to be with him on the field, according to ABC. His teammates also surrounded him as he received care. After some time with medical personnel, Damar’s mother accompanied him to the hospital in an ambulance.
Following his collapse, Bills coach Sean McDermott, quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs appeared tearful as they waited for updates. The team gathered on the field, and they were briefly prepped to resume play before the coaches and officials decided to suspend the game. Players then cleared the field.
At the time, the Bengals were winning 7 to 3. It was the second to last game of regular season play for the two already-playoff-bound teams.
3. He is in his second year of pro football
Damar was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, putting him at 212th overall. He signed his four-year rookie contract with Buffalo on May 21, 2021.
After playing a reserve role his rookie season, Damar became one of the Bills’ starting safeties following Micah Hyde’s season-ending neck injury during week 2. This season he’d played 16 games, recorded 91 tackles, and 1.5 sacks.
4. He grew up playing in Pennsylvania
Damar grew up in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic. During his high school career, he was named first-team All-State and the Class AAAA Defensive Player of the Year.
He went on to play for University of Pittsburgh, where as a late-debuting freshman player recorded 41 tackles with one interception in nine games played. After three strong years of play, he was named a team captain going into his final season.
5. He founded his own charity
After getting drafted, Damar focused on how he could help his community. During his first season, he founded the Chasing M’s Foundation.
In a GoFundMe for the project, reported by ABC 7, he wrote, “As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me. I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact.” The foundation’s inaugural project was a holiday toy drive that raised over $390k.
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