Thursday’s NFL Honors featured a special segment in honor of Bills safety Damar Hamlin and the host of medical professionals who helped save his life after he went into cardiac arrest during a Jan. 2 game against the Bengals.
Hamlin walked onto the stage inside Phoenix’s Symphony Hall to a thunderous ovation after a rousing introduction from Emmy award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and Bills legend and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. The Bills and Bengals medical staffs, as well as the staff at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, flanked the 24-year-old as he stood at the mic and delivered an emotional speech thanking them, his family and the rest of the world for their help and support.
“First, I would like to just thank God for even being here,” Hamlin began. “Every day, I am amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world. Encourage to pray, encourage to spread love and encouraged to keep fighting no matter the circumstances. Sudden cardiac arrest is nothing I would’ve ever chosen to be a part of my story but that’s because our own visions are too small even when we think we are seeing the bigger picture. “
Hamlin’s speech marked his first televised speaking appearance since he frighteningly collapsed after making a tackle against Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. He was administered CPR on the field and transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he stayed for several days. On Jan. 9, Hamlin was transferred to a Buffalo hospital, and later released after a two-day stay.
In the weeks since his medical emergency, Hamlin’s inspiring story and recovery sparked countless displays of support within the NFL and around the world toward the second-year pro and his Chasing M’s Foundation. On Thursday, Hamlin acknowledged that while he still has strides to make in his recovery, he’s comfortable in facing the challenges ahead because he has a better understanding of his purpose.
“My vision was about playing in the NFL and being the best player that I could be, but God’s plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world,” he continued. “My entire life I felt like God was using me to give others hope and now, with a new set of circumstances, I can only say He’s doing what He’s always done. I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones but it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose.”
While Hamlin has served as a source of inspiration for others, he told the audience of the inspiration he received from a conversation he had during his third night awake in the Cincinnati hospital with a ICU doctor named Yusef who went through a similar experience. Because of that interaction, Hamlin said he felt encouraged despite there being “so much uncertainty” at the time surrounding his condition. He then thanked Yusef and everyone on stage, and all of his fans and supporters for their prayers before ending the speech with a vow to keep going.
“The journey will continue,” Hamlin concluded.
Hamlin’s appearance came just a day after he spoke at a ceremony where he received the NFLPA’s Alan Page Community award. It remains unknown when Hamlin could return to playing, although his prospects remain high after Thom Mayer, the medical director for the NFLPA, said Wednesday he guaranteed Hamlin would be back on the gridiron one day.
On the heels of Hamlin’s speech, ESPN’s Field Yates reported Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington received a fifth-place vote for the NFL’s MVP award out of respect and appreciation for performing CPR on the DB.
