Nine minutes into a pivotal Week 17 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills the game was paused, and then suspended altogether after a tragic incident involving Bills safety Damar Hamlin. 

Drafted in the sixth round by the Bills back in 2021, Hamlin played in 14 games as a rookie. He recently became a starting player this season after two-time all-pro safety Micah Hyde was injured. This was a highly anticipated game as it had significant playoff implications for both teams: securing the AFC’s number one seed. The Bills entered with a record of 12-3 in the top spot of the AFC while the Bengals entered 11-4 with a chance to clinch the AFC North with a victory, thus putting themselves in the running for the number one seed, along with Kansas City (13-3).

As the pivotal game unfolded,twenty-four-year-old Hamlin took a hit to the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during a tackle that sent him into cardiac arrest, and was down for 19 minutes before being taken to the hospital. During this time emergency personnel was working to keep Damar alive and to restore his heartbeat. Fans of both teams watched Hamlin get back up after a hit that did not appear to be unusually violent, only for him to collapse seconds after standing up and readjusting his helmet. Horrified players, fans, and coaches all around the world watched emergency personnel rush onto the field to administer emergency CPR to Hamlin. 

“I was shocked; it was scary how he got up and took a few steps and then collapsed, I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Senior and Bills fan Sam Rotenberg said. 

Time kept passing with no update, ESPN kept cutting to commercials, and the only thing those who were watching on TV could see was the very emotionally huddled Bills players crying and praying for their teammates. The Bills’ huddle shielded the vulnerable moment from the public. 

This was uncharted territory for the NFL, and the NFL’s Emergency Action Plan was activated, according to Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations. There are many injuries sustained and it is not uncommon for broken bones, concussions, and other incidents like those among football players. 

However, watching a player lose a heartbeat and need immediate CPR on the field is a new level of terror, as the commentators of the game noted this truly could have been a life-or-death situation. 

Junior Nate Petersen commented on the moment, “I was horrified that such a common regular tackle in football could lead to such a scary situation.” 

Hamlin was taken to Cincinnati Medical Center, where both teams went and stood outside with lit candles. 

Senior Reece Weinberger, captain of varsity basketball, spoke with his team and said “After seeing the incident with Damar Hamlin it made it clear that as athletes and as people not everything is guaranteed for tomorrow so I think for the best chance of success we must focus on and conquer today”. 

The emergency personnel’s medical assistance made this incident survivable. The NFL medical protocol and responders are always ready to respond to injuries.. Although this injury is extremely rare, the staff knew what to do and were prepared. In the event of a cardiac issue, every response is considered and every person is assigned to handle a specific life-saving measure. Staff is assigned for resuscitation, who bring the defibrillator onto the field and handle any other breathing issues. The personnel knows exactly where each specific piece of equipment is located and deliberately assign somebody to handle any type of injury. The plan is to make sure nothing is left to chance. 

Here at Hackley, there are athletic trainers and staff who have extensive experience and knowledge on sport-related injuries. Head Athletic Trainer Katie Jenson and Assistant Athletic Trainer Kayla Simpson are always ready to help with injuries, stretching, and anything else their athletes need. Senior and football captain Rafael Green-Arnone is very close with both trainers and the incident with Damar helped him appreciate the trainers here even more.

 “The incident itself did not make me any more worried about playing football. I think it was more of a freak accident than relating to the sport itself. I  feel very safe with the trainers at Hackley and if something like that were to happen here I know they would take care of me. In my junior year, one of the players on the football team thought they were having a heart attack and Ms. Katie and Ms. Kayla took very good care of him and stabilized him even though it was not actually a heart attack. They were so calm and handled it so well and if I had to get injured anywhere it would be here with those two for sure”.  

Medical professionals have reported that the likely situation was that Damar was hit at the exact time in the exact location to have caused this. Even among young players in contact sports, it is not uncommon for there to be underlying heart conditions, according to Dr. Mariell Jessup, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer. 

Senior Sai Shaw said, “It shows health issues in sports, especially football, needs to be taken very seriously. Even if it appears as though it is a minor injury, those can progress into much more serious issues”.

Too much time for comfort went by before the world was alerted that Hamlin was okay and improving. It took the NFL approximately one hour after Hamlin’s collapse to officially suspend the game. This was because league executives needed to gather information and communicate with referee Shawn Smith and coaches from both teams and the NFL Players Association.

 Senior Danny Zampolin said, “The commentators were questioning whether it would resume or not, but all I was thinking is how would you possibly throw a ball around not knowing if your teammate just died on that field”. 

Worried fans, other NFL teams, and even other sports teams around the United States came together to spread love, pray, and support the Bills. It was not difficult to tell how supportive the other teams in the NFL were. They all posted on their social media for him and many even made their profile photos on Instagram of Damar’s number #3 with a line saying “Pray for Damar”. In addition, the teams outlined the number 3 on their home fields for Hamlin and had apparel with the #3 on it. Sai said, “That is a friend, a team member, it changes the whole game. At that moment it was more than a sport”. 

On Thursday, January 5th, the Buffalo Bills posted an update from Damar’s doctors saying he had shown “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact” (Bills’ Instagram). After this initial announcement, positive, hopeful, and inspiring information continued to be released on Hamlin’s condition. He is said to have made a remarkable recovery and is expected to make a full recovery, which is a relief considering the level of seriousness and urgency of his once very critical condition. 

The Bills’ Instagram page posted on January 5th that said “Damar Hamlin is now able to communicate through writing and asked the doctors who won the game Monday night. The doctors answered, ‘Yes Damar, you won. You won the game of life’”. 

Six days after that fateful game, the Buffalo Bills rallied and played a remarkable game against the New England Patriots, clearly having found motivation and a high level of play for Damar Hamlin. Fans watched a touching and emotional moment as the Bills entered the field with flags and new head-to-toe attire covered with the #3 for Hamlin. For the first time in three years and three months, the Bills scored a touchdown off of the kickoff. This took place just 14 seconds into the game. The players, fans, and coaches celebrated the play, full of emotion and pride for their team and for Damar. The Bills and the Patriots proceeded to battle for the remainder of the game, with the Bills emerging victorious with a score of 35-23, leaving them with a 13-3 record so far this season. 

Damar continues to recover and progress in his healing process. He was able to watch the exciting win for his team from the hospital and was even reported to be jumping up and down after their historic and memorable first touchdown of that game. Damar and his family extended many thanks and gratitude to everyone for praying for his recovery and showing him unconditional love. As Danny Zampolin said, “A silver lining is that it shows a wholesomeness and respect within the NFL and that it is a big community”.