Mike Evans offers surprising Damar Hamlin reaction

The NFL world was stunned Monday night after the tragic injury suffered by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the first quarter of their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest while attempting to stand to his feet and fell back to the turf. He received CPR in front of his teammates before medical staff took him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he has been receiving treatment and recovering since.

The Bills have been sharing great updates on Thursday and Friday, saying that Hamlin’s breathing tube has been removed and he’s started verbally communicating with his family and teammates.

Meanwhile, there’s been a lot of discussions around player safety and where the NFL goes from here. How do you make a sport where players hurl their bodies at one another “safe?” Many people don’t think that’s possible.

You also have to consider that safety isn’t what many players are considering when they’re on the field. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans told reporters on Thursday that the injury only made him want to play even harder.

I asked Mike Evans if watching the Damar Hamlin collision gave him pause or fear about playing. His response wasn’t something I expected. He said it made him “want to go that much harder” because “you never know when it’s gonna be your last time.” pic.twitter.com/p1ja84pnJv

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 5, 2023

“Me, personally, it was scary to see,” said Evans. “But it just makes me want to go even harder. Because you never know when it’s going to be your last time. You’ve got to give it your all every time.”

That might sound pretty jarring given the weight of Hamlin’s injury and the way it shocked so many people. But football players have been primed to play as Evans discussed their entire lives. It’s hard to imagine one injury will change their mindset, even if it’s a particularly shocking one.

[Audacy, Jenna Laine]