Bills' Damar Hamlin clears 'super big hurdle' in first padded practice since cardiac arrest
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, whose cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game earlier this year made national news, had his first padded football practice Monday since the incident, another incredible step in his NFL comeback.
Hamlin said his first practice was a "roller coaster of emotions" and a "super big hurdle" during an interview with reporters.
"I pretty much lost my life playing this sport," Hamlin said.
"So, to come back and do it all over again, it’s all over the place, you know what I mean? But I’m rooted in my faith. I’m rooted in the love that I received from my family, my teammates, and the love all around the world. That just it keeps me going."
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What happened to Damar Hamlin?
Hamlin collapsed and was resuscitated during a regular-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2 after he made a seemingly routine tackle.
Hamlin said he suffered from a bout of commotio cordis, which is a rare cause of cardiac arrest that starts with a blow to the chest in a precise spot at just the wrong time in the heartbeat, according to the American Heart Association.
Hamlin was admitted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and sedated for two days before waking up Jan. 4. He began breathing on his own and walking around the intensive care unit two days later. He was released from the hospital on Jan. 9 and flew home to Buffalo, where he spent two days at the Buffalo General Medical Center under evaluation.
Hamlin on Bronny James' cardiac arrest
Hamlin said the cardiac arrest episode Bronny James, son of LeBron James, suffered last week was a "super big reminder" about the process he’s been through.
"Prayers out to him, prayers out to his family. They've been really big and supportive and reaching out to my family as well so I just want to be able to extend that back to them," Hamlin said to the James family. "I wanted to let him know I'll be here, you know, for whatever he needs on his journey as far as his recovery, and, you know, getting back to his sport, if that's what he chooses to do."
As far as James' incident adding perspective to his NFL comeback, Hamlin said:
"It put everything in perspective for me. I made a decision. My family, my mom and my dad, you know, they were behind me – either way. I wanted to go play and this is the decision we're gonna make, we're gonna go ahead and keep going. I made my decision. I'm living with it.”
Hamlin keeps perspective, even his fears
Hamlin smiled as he shared his family was in attendance for his first padded practice, saying "this was another milestone" in his life.
"I’m just thankful. I’m blessed to be able to do what I wanted to do when I was a kid at the highest level after going through such a traumatic situation," Hamlin said. "To be able to come out here and compete again, at the highest level in the world, that’s such a blessing."
Hamlin said he endured some "normal practice contact" during the first practice, and felt OK afterward.
Still, Hamlin won’t shy away about the underlying fear he has taking the field.
"For me, it was never about the first moment of contact for me because what happened to me, it was such random and it was any moment. But that feeling, it’ll never go away," Hamlin said.
"First day, last day, when I retire, it’ll never go away. But my faith, it’s stronger than that fear in there. Those feelings will be in there forever, and I’m not afraid to say that."