Damar Hamlin Prays Before First Regular Season Game Since Health Scare
By Movieguide® Contributor
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to the field last weekend for the first time since his on-field health scare in January.
At the time, Movieguide® reported on Hamlin’s injury:
“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 Bills tweeted shortly after midnight on January 3.
Since then, Hamlin has steadily recovered, relying on his faith as he returned to practice earlier this year.
MSN reported that he played during a preseason game, recording “three solo tackles in the game and helped the Bills earn a 23-19 victory.”
Before the Sunday game, he and his teammates joined in a “touching prayer,” leaving former NFL player Teddy Bruschi in tears, ESPN SUNDAY COUNTDOWN host Samantha Ponder said.
.@TedyBruschi gets emotional seeing Damar Hamlin's return to NFL action ❤️ pic.twitter.com/U9FR6E77qz
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 1, 2023
She added, “It’s easy to forget because, in the league, everything moves so quickly, and we move on to the next thing. But just what that man… has been through, what his family has been through, what that entire organization has been through to get to this point is just incredible.”
Bruschi had a similar experience to Hamlin. He suffered from a stroke while playing and, just like Hamlin, fought his way back to the field.
“It’s emotional,” Bruschi expressed. “You feel all your family members in those stands also watching that first play and to see you do that and then walk off the field still healthy. You’re back doing what you want to do. I’m very proud of that young man.”
After the game, Hamlin described his return:
“That moment was everything to me. I think it was more so about promising to myself than anything else, just showing myself that I have the courage, I have the strength, that I have the pride, everything, all those words, in me to be able to go through something traumatic and to be able to come back from it.”
“To be able to still do what I love at the highest level in the world is amazing,” Hamlin continued.
The NFL shared on Instagram, “Damar Hamlin makes his official return to the field.”
Movieguide® reported on Hamlin’s injury:
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been inactive for the first two regular season games following his preseason return to the field after his January 2023 health scare…
However, Hamlin was inactive for his team’s games against the New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders…
NBC Sports wrote, “Hamlin has not played in a regular season game since going into cardiac arrest during a Monday night matchup with the Bengals in Week 17 last season. He was cleared to return to play during the offseason and appeared in preseason games for the Bills, but he doesn’t currently have a role on defense or special teams in Buffalo.”
ESPN reported that the decision to keep Hamlin inactive “is not surprising. Hamlin made the team’s roster as a backup safety and special teams contributor, making the decision based on the number of players the team can have active for the game.”
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