Nine months after his cardiac arrest on the field, football professional Damar Hamlin has made his comeback to the NFL.
“This moment was everything for me,” said the 25-year-old after his appearance in his Buffalo Bills’ 48:20 win over the previously undefeated Miami Dolphins. “To still be able to do what I love at the highest level in the world is fantastic,” Hamlin added.
The defender suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during an NFL game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2nd and collapsed unconscious. Resuscitation measures were initiated immediately. A week later he was able to leave the hospital in Cincinnati.
Hamlin doesn’t have to fear any long-term consequences
According to the doctors, the reason for his collapse was a hard hit in a duel. According to doctors, there are no long-term consequences to worry about. Hamlin played for Buffalo during the preseason in August. He wasn’t in the squad for the first three league games, but after teammate Jordan Poyer was injured, he was brought into the team for the game against Miami.
Before the game, he was the last player to enter the field, ran across the field with his arms outstretched and was celebrated by the fans. During the game he only made short appearances and did not have any notable action. “It was about proving to myself that I had the courage, I had the strength, I had the pride,” Hamlin said. He went through something traumatic and came back.
“It was a surreal moment,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. “He deserves this attention.”
In the entertaining game against the Dolphins, Buffalo’s quarterback Josh Allen showed an outstanding performance. He threw four touchdown passes and scored one touchdown himself. Both teams now have three wins and one loss each.
