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Damar Hamlin attended the Buffalo Bills playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals in an emotional reunion between the two teams.
The Bills and Bengals reignited their rivalry in the Divisional Round on Sunday just under three weeks since the Buffalo safety suffered cardiac arrest on the field during their Week 17 clash.
In poignant scenes, Hamlin returned to Highmark Stadium and joined his teammates in the locker room before taking the field to face the Bengals.
Damar Hamlin attended the Bills’ playoff game against the Bengals in an emotional reunion
In video shared on the Bills’ Twitter account, Hamlin could be seen arriving at the Buffalo facility, driven by a security cart to the team locker room.
Head down and hood up, Hamlin made a quick move from the cart to the locker room.
The 24-year-old didn’t take the field because he’s taking it easy while he continues to recover, instead watching the game from the warmth and comfort of a suite as snow fell at Orchard Park.
His mother, Nina, was also seen arriving with Hamlin’s younger brother, Damir, 7.
He faces a long recovery, with his family spokesman saying earlier this week that he “still needs oxygen.”
Before the matchup, Hamlin tweeted a video from a previous game of him on the field, running to meet his family in the stands, with the simple caption, “GameDay…3pm,” complete with an emoji of hands making a heart. , his signature move and two red hearts.
Hamlin had tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the crucial Monday night game on January 2, when the two teams last met, and got up briefly before falling to the ground and stand still
Hamlin (left) went into cardiac arrest after a tackle against the Bengals on January 2.
Hamlin received CPR in the field and was taken by ambulance to a Cincinnati hospital.
He was attended to by members of the Bills’ training staff, including Denny Kellington, who was identified as the man who gave Hamlin the necessary CPR.
Hamlin spent more than a week in the hospital, part of that time in critical condition, before he was able to return home after making encouraging progress.
Since he was released, Hamlin has visited the Bills’ training facility almost daily, according to team personnel, but his recovery is expected to take a long time.
“Damar still needs oxygen and his heart is being monitored regularly to make sure there are no mishaps or after effects,” said Jordon Rooney, Hamlin’s friend and business associate. Associated Press Thursday.
“Although he is able to visit team facilities, Damar is not in a condition to travel frequently and requires extra rest to help his body heal.”
Hamlin met with his teammates on Saturday and toasted their wild card playoff win against the Miami Dolphins from home.
Bills LB Matt Milano shared a photo of his teammate Hamlin with the team this past Saturday.
The 24-year-old tweeted his support ahead of the Bills’ game against the Dolphins last week.
Bills safety Hamlin has been released from the hospital in Buffalo and continued his recovery at home.
The support for Hamlin continued Sunday at the AFC Wild Card game against the Dolphins.
He’s back in the building taking “baby steps” on his way to a full recovery, Bills head coach Sean McDermott has revealed.
“Damar is in the building now, almost every day, and that’s good news,” McDermott told reporters before practice Wednesday.
‘As you continue to improve that helps [the rest of the team]. That experience, we will take with us. There is a challenge for [dealing with] that, but also a lot of good things that came out of that and we have to focus on the positives right now.’
When asked specifically what Hamlin has been able to do since he returned to the building, McDermott added: ‘It’s limited overall, but he comes in and he’s just trying to get back into the grind. Taking one small step at a time.
McDermott wants his group to “focus on the positives” right now with Hamlin making progress, but when asked to reflect on the lasting impact Hamlin’s cardiac arrest had on him, the Bills coach’s faith leapt to the core. the arena.
“I think that as a world, the most important thing that I learned as a human being is that people put aside their agendas for the greater good to achieve a goal,” he added.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said safety is taking “baby steps” on his way to a full recovery.
A mural dedicated to the safety of Bills Hamlin in the Larkinville neighborhood of Buffalo
“I am 48 years old and shared this story with my children the Sunday after the New England game, the first opportunity I had to slow down. When you can go through life, 48 years, without any of that happening, you realize that God is real and the power of prayer.
Quarterback Josh Allen said something similar to his coach earlier when asked about the lasting impact of watching Hamlin go down.
‘[There was] just kind of a spiritual awakening really for me, and I know for a lot of other people maybe they didn’t have the strongest belief, or it wasn’t one of the biggest [or] strongest Christian supporters’, Bills quarterback he told ESPN’s Kyle Brandt before the playoff matchup with the Dolphins.
“Something got me there,” Allen added. “It was extremely powerful that I couldn’t deny.”
To give back to the hospital that saved his life, Hamlin launched a T-shirt series with proceeds going to the UC Medical Center.
The Bills player has also organized toy charity drives to raise money for his local community.