Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi, who coached current Bills safety Damar Hamlin for five seasons, issued a statement of support for the former Panther Tuesday following Hamlin’s frightening injury during Monday night’s game against the Bengals.
Hamlin, 24, collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field during the first quarter of the AFC contest after making a tackle on Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins. He was given CPR on the field and quickly taken in an ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit.
The Bills said Tuesday afternoon that he remains in critical condition.
“Damar Hamlin is far more than just a football player,” Narduzzi wrote. “He’s a loving son, brother and friend. Damar is a hero to thousands of Pittsburgh kids.
“Damar, we love you. We are praying for you. Pittsburgh’s always had your back. And now it’s obvious the entire country has your back, too.”
Narduzzi, who has served as the Panthers coach since 2015, had Hamlin on his team at Pittsburgh from ’16 to ’20. During that time, Hamlin developed into an All-ACC caliber defensive back, racking up 185 tackles and six interceptions over the course of his college career. He was one of the team’s captains during his final year with the program.
Narduzzi became just the latest member of the football community to reach out in support of Hamlin and his family over the last 24 hours. The safety’s family released a statement on Tuesday, expressing its gratitude for that outpouring of well wishes.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar,” the family said in the statement. “We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach [Zac] Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done.
“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them.”
After the harrowing incident involving Hamlin, the game was temporarily suspended before the NFL ultimately opted to postpone. On Tuesday, the league announced that Bills-Bengals would not resume this week.
The NFL did not provide additional clarity on when the game would take place.
