Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin posted to social media Saturday afternoon, the first time that he has made a public statement since going into cardiac arrest during this week’s Monday Night Football game.
Hamlin collapsed with about six minutes left in the first quarter of the game after he tackled Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins following a 13-yard catch. After the tackle, Hamlin got up, took a step backward, and fell to the ground.
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much,” Hamlin wrote on Instagram. “The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out.”
“We brung the world back together behind this,” he continued. “If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
First post from Damar Hamlin since his collapse on the field! pic.twitter.com/2TUwgAhDyF
— Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) January 7, 2023
Dr. Timothy A. Pritts and Dr. William Knight, two of the doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center treating Hamlin, held a press conference Thursday to give an update on his health status.
The doctors said that Hamlin was able to move his hands and feet and was able to communicate through writing, but they said it was too early to know if he would make a full recovery.
“When he asked did we win, the answer is, yes, you know, Damar, you won, you’ve won the game of life,” Pritts said.
“We know that he’s home and that appears that all cylinders are firing within his brain,” Pritts said. “Which is greatly gratifying for all of us, for the nurses and respiratory therapists and caregivers as for his family and for everybody else beyond.”
When the doctors were asked about what caused Hamlin to go into cardiac arrest, they said that they do not know, but that answers could emerge in the future.
“The answer to that is that workup is ongoing,” Dr. William Knight answered. “We do not have definitive answers as to the etiology of the arrest at this time and that tests will continue to be ongoing as he continues to progress.”
Former Bills head coach Rex Ryan broke down on ESPN Saturday talking about what Hamlin asked medical staff when he first regained consciousness in the hospital.
“When he came out, ‘Did we win,’ we needed that,” Ryan said. “As fans, we needed it. This guy is a legend. A legend. You talk about a fighter? He’s a dang legend. Thank you. I needed it as a dad, as a coach and as a fan of this game.”
"When he came out, 'Did we win?' We needed that. As fans, we needed that. This guy is a legend… I needed it as a dad, as a coach and as a fan of this game."
Rex Ryan got choked up talking about Damar Hamlin 🥹pic.twitter.com/v2ObXPWluc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 7, 2023
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