As a redshirt freshman playing in his second year, Hamlin was not back to full health until week three of the football season.[9][10] Playing the safety position, he recorded 41 tackles with one interception in nine games played.[11] The next year, Hamlin led the Panthers "sniper gang"[10] secondary with 77 tackles and two interceptions as a redshirt sophomore and was named honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He would register 84 tackles with 10 passes broken up as a redshirt junior.[12]
Going into his final season, Hamlin was a team captain and was named to the All-ACC second-team after leading the Panthers with 66 tackles and seven passes broken up.[13][14] He earned ACC Co-Defensive Back of the Week honors for his November 21, 2020 game against Virginia Tech.[15]
Hamlin earned a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh.[16]
The Buffalo Bills selected Hamlin in the sixth round with the 212th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.[20] He signed his four-year rookie contract with Buffalo on May 21, 2021.[21] After playing a reserve role his first season, Hamlin became one of Buffalo's starting safeties in 2022 after Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week two.[22] Against the New York Jets in Week nine, Hamlin led the team with 12 tackles and a sack in the 20–17 loss.[23] In Week 13 against the New England Patriots, Hamlin was ejected after an illegal hit on Jakobi Meyers in the 24–10 win.[24][25]
Hamlin is removed by ambulance as his teammates (bottom left in white) kneel
On January 2, 2023, during a Week 17 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins and required immediate emergency medical treatment.[26]
At the start of the play, Higgins caught a pass near the 50-yard line and ran downfield while leading with his right shoulder, which collided against Hamlin's chest. As the defender, Hamlin wrapped his arms around Higgins' shoulders and helmet to bring him down to the ground.[27] Sports commentators described the tackle as seemingly routine[28] while noting the jarring nature of the contact.[29][30] Following the play, Hamlin stood up momentarily before collapsing backwards.[29][30][31]
Hamlin remained motionless at midfield while team trainers and paramedics rushed to his side within ten seconds.[32] First responders initiated CPR, automated external defibrillation (AED) and other treatments to Hamlin on the field for ten minutes.[33][34] Hamlin was eventually administered oxygen and an intravenous solution (IV).[33] An ambulance was brought onto the field four minutes after his collapse.[27] As he was being placed on a stretcher, most of the players from both teams came off the sidelines to kneel or stand on the field near him, visibly upset and emotional about his situation.[35] After being transported by ambulance, accompanied by his mother, to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center at roughly 9:30 p.m.[36]EST,[37] he was reported to be in critical condition[38] and was intubated.
A warmup period for five minutes to resume play was reported separately by ESPN and Westwood One,[39] though the game remained suspended and the NFL later denied the reports.[40] Per the NFL's emergency-situation rules,[41] the game was suspended at roughly 9:16 p.m. with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter. The game was ultimately postponed shortly after 10 p.m., just over one hour after Hamlin collapsed.[42][43][44] The NFL released a statement the following day that the game would not be resumed that week.[45][36] On January 5, the NFL announced that the game would be cancelled entirely.[46]
Later that night at 1:48 a.m. local time,[47] the Bills reported that Hamlin had initially suffered cardiac arrest and his heartbeat was restored on-field.[3]Nielsen ratings released a few days later showed that the broadcast had an average of 23,788,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 from approximately 8:30 pm to 10:09 pm, making it the most-watched Monday Night Football broadcast since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006.[48]
Recovery
On January 3, Hamlin remained at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center while sedated and on a ventilator. According to his uncle Dorrian Glen, Hamlin was placed on his stomach to help take the pressure off his lungs. He also stated that Hamlin's condition was "trending upwards."[49][50]
On January 5, Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam said that Hamlin was awake and doing better. The same day, the Bills released a statement saying, "Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours" and "while still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress."
Trauma surgeon Dr. Timothy Pritts said Hamlin was able to communicate by writing on paper or by nodding and shaking his head because he still has a breathing tube.[51] When Hamlin woke up, he was able to follow commands, had full control and feeling in his extremities,[52] and asked who won Monday night's football game by communicating in writing on a clipboard. "When he asked, ‘Did we win?’ the answer is, ‘Yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life," said Pritts.[53] The doctor said significant progress is still needed, but "this marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care."[51]
Reactions
Following the collapse, numerous NFL players and teams quickly offered their support and prayers on social media.[54] The following day, all 32 NFL teams changed their profile pictures on Twitter to a picture of Hamlin's jersey and text that reads "Pray For Damar."[55][56] Tee Higgins offered his condolences to Hamlin's family, as did Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen urged people to "Please pray for our brother."[57]
Fans began gathering outside the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center following his collapse. Hours after the incident, the lights on Paycor Stadium, the location of the game, were lit blue in honor of Hamlin[58] along with the lights on Fifth Third Bank's headquarters on Fountain Square.[59]Niagara Falls was illuminated in blue on the evening of January 3 in support of Hamlin.[60]
Shortly after the incident, there was an uptick in rhetoric from well-known anti-vaccination activists making unfounded claims about Hamlin's injury and COVID-19 vaccines.[61][62][63]
Toy drive campaign
In the hours following his collapse, Hamlin's 2020 charity GoFundMe campaign received a massive influx of donations from fans and others. Some of the donations to the toy drive had messages of support for Hamlin.[64][65] In the days that followed, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former Patriot Tom Brady were among multiple NFL players[66] who donated to the campaign, which grew exponentially from its $2,500 goal amount to almost $7.5 million as of January 4, 2023[update].[67][68][69][70][71]
In addition to his football career, Hamlin is a fashion entrepreneur, having started a fashion line, Chasing Millions, while at the University of Pittsburgh.[72]
^Gay, Jason (January 3, 2023). "Football Can Wait for Damar Hamlin". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved January 3, 2023. Hamlin is an entrepreneur. He launched his own fashion line in college after a series of injuries in his freshman year made him think he needed a backup plan—in case a football career didn't wind up happening for him. Football wound up happening. But Hamlin kept the fashion line, Chasing Millions, which now sells a sweatshirt stitched with the auspicious phrase: LOVE ME B4 THEY ALL DO.
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