BALTIMORE — When an NFL player collapses on the field like Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin did on Monday night, it makes a lot of sports fans pause, reflect and develop a better appreciation of life.
Hamlin, 24, took a hit in the chest area late in the first quarter while tackling Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who was running across the field after a catch. It was a routine play that’s made thousands of times throughout the season. Only this time, Hamlin got up after the tackle only to fall backward seconds later. The Bills said he spent Monday night in the intensive care unit and remains there Tuesday in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after suffering a cardiac arrest.
As you watched everything unfold — the ambulance racing onto the field, players crying in disbelief, the news that he was given CPR — it brought immediate sadness. There was a knot in your stomach and a sense of helplessness because many of us have been on those sidelines and in those huddles and team rooms in one form or another at different levels.
