It was a moment that had the world holding its breath.
Last season, during a Week 16 matchup as the Bengals faced the Bills on Jan. 2, Damar Hamlin lay motionless on the ground as Buffalo medical staff performed CPR. The safety’s heartbeat was restored but remained in critical condition and remained sedated after receiving treatment at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Hamlin made a miraculous recovery that ultimately landed him to be a finalist for NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.
“I say this very humbly, I’m a humble person, but it feels like something aligned,” he told Fox Digital.
He arrived back at Bills training camp in July looking healthy.
Here comes 3. 🫶@HamlinIsland | #BillsCamp pic.twitter.com/Ijj0Z5QGq3
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 26, 2023
“All the steps that it took getting back to playing football — offseason, season, training camp, putting the helmet on — all of that was a process,” he said. “And it’s still a process, and I think it will forever be a process as long as I decide to continue to play. But I’m built for it. Where we come from and the things that we overcame to even make it to the NFL, we’re all testimonial stories.”
To go from cardiac arrest to gameplay in less than a year makes the term “comeback” seem minute, to say the least.
While there were some apprehensions of his own to return to the football field, he did so in strong fashion.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.