Damar Hamlin trains in his helmet at Bills practice for the first time since his cardiac arrest 

Buffalo Bills defenseman Damar Hamlin wore his helmet during his team’s OTAs on Tuesday afternoon.

According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Hamlin was a full participant in training as training camp is in full swing.

Getzenberg says Hamlin was slow to rise from a contested ball during a team practice and spent time with trainers watching his right arm.

After apparently throwing his helmet in frustration, he eventually returned to training and continued to compete.

Hamlin, like the rest of the team, was not wearing a full pad – something that probably won’t happen for another few weeks.

It is Hamlin’s first time wearing a helmet since his heart incident in January

Hamlin made a full recovery and was allowed to play football again in April

It is Hamlin’s first time practicing with his helmet since his cardiac arrest in early January.

Hamlin’s tackle on Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins caused commotio cordis – a disturbance in his heart rhythm due to sudden trauma to the chest.

The DB spent several days in hospital before finally being released after making a full recovery.

He was fully cleared to return to football activities in April and was spotted training with teammates.

Since being released from the hospital, Hamlin has teamed up with the American Heart Association for a campaign to teach a basic version of CPR.

He has also met with President Joe Biden at the White House and advocated access to defibrillators in schools with congressional leaders.

After being cleared to return, Hamlin held a press conference announcing his wish to return to play.

“I’m grateful and blessed,” Hamlin began. “I am blessed with a great medical staff and great trainers here, who treat me with the care of their children.

Hamlin spent several days recovering in a Cincinnati hospital before being released

In April, just months after his cardiac arrest, Hamlin was cleared to return to football

At a press conference in April, Hamlin said he wanted to play the game again

“That tender love and care just gives me confidence, faith, strength, just all the wonderful things to just keep going on this journey that I’ve been on so far…

“For the past few months I have been traveling and seeing some of the best professionals around the country. Their answers to me were pretty much all the same. … This event changed my life, but it’s not the end of my story, so I’m here to announce that I plan to make a comeback to the NFL.

“The diagnosis of pretty much what happened to me was actually commotio cordis. It is a direct blow to a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest. Five to seven seconds later you drop out and that’s pretty much what everyone saw on January 2 of this year.

He added: “My heart is still in it. My heart is still in the game. I like the game. It’s something I want to prove to myself, not someone else.

“I just want to show people that fear is a choice, that you can keep going into something without having the answers and without knowing what’s at the end of the tunnel.”