Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has told President Biden that he believes he will be able to play again after his cardiac arrest in January.
Biden met with Hamlin on Thursday, nearly three months after the NFL star went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field after making a tackle during an MNF game.
In a video shared by the POTUS Twitter account on Friday, the president can be seen welcoming Hamlin to the Oval Office.
The pair enjoyed tossing the pigskin back and forth with Biden calling the play to safety before sitting down for a chat.
With Hamlin’s family also gathered in the office, Biden asked the 25-year-old if he thinks there’s a chance he could play again.
Damar Hamlin (left) told President Biden (right) that she thinks she will be able to play again
The safety presented a Bills jersey with Biden and his number 3 on the back as a gift to the president.
Hamlin responded, “Yeah, I think so,” leaving the president “happy.”
The safety then revealed a Bills jersey featuring Biden and his number 3 on the back as a gift to the president.
Biden then had Hamlin sit at the Resolute Desk and sign the back of the jersey, joking: ‘Mr. President, could you sign my jersey?
However, it has not been confirmed that Hamlin will be able to play again as he is still undergoing trials, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It is also not entirely your decision but also that of the organization.
“It’s a decision for Damar, but also for us,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters at the NFL combine.
After their meeting on Thursday, Biden tweeted a photo of himself with Hamlin in the Oval Office and said it was an honor to meet Hamlin and his family. In the photo, Hamlin is seen holding a Bills jersey in his lap.
‘Damar Hamlin’s courage, resilience and spirit inspired the American people,’ wrote No. 46. ‘And what’s more, she turned recovery into action, and our country is better for it. It was an honor for me to have him and his family here today.
Hamlin also shared a tweet, writing: ‘It was a pleasure and an honor to meet you today. I know his time is precious and I wouldn’t waste a second! Our conversations were valuable… #UncleJoe.’ He closed his Twitter post with his signature hands forming a heart emoji.
President Biden praised Hamlin’s “courage, resilience and spirit” on Twitter, adding: “He turned recovery into action, and our country is better for it.”
Hamlin thanked the president for his time on Twitter and affectionately signed his tweet with the hashtag #UncleJoe.
Hamlin has remarkably recovered from his cardiac arrest in January as he attempts to return to the NFL with the Bills next season (pictured at the NFL Honors awards show in February)
Hamlin collapsed while playing against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Since then, the 25-year-old has made a remarkable recovery, according to doctors.
The team’s general manager said in February that Hamlin’s “final game” is to resume play as long as he receives the necessary medical clearance.
“We’re hopeful he’ll play, but at the end of the day, it’s a decision he’s going to make, but we support him whether he decides to play or not,” coach Sean McDermott said this week at the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix. Arizona.
The White House said in a statement that Hamlin’s efforts during his recovery helped “make life-saving technologies more widely available,” referring to AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators).
Bills players react after Hamlin’s collapse in the Bengals’ season opener at Paycor Stadium on January 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Biden had previously spoken to Hamlin’s parents by phone while he was visiting Cincinnati on Jan. 4, two days after the game and while Hamlin was in the hospital.
On Wednesday, Hamlin appeared with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla) to discuss a bill that would increase access to defibrillators in schools. public and private primary and secondary schools.
A defibrillator helped save Hamlin’s life.
On Monday, the NFL launched The Smart Heart Sports Coalition, a collaboration among several organizations advocating for adopting evidence-based policies that will prevent fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest among high school students.