Although it was challenging for Damar Hamlin to face his many fears last year while working to return to football after a near-death experience, the Buffalo Bills safety wouldn’t change anything now.
Hamlin believes that each step in his journey—his first practice, his first tackle, his first game—was crucial in reaching a new milestone in his comeback, being named a starter for the season opener.
Coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Hamlin will start alongside Taylor Rapp when the Bills play against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. “Truly a blessing,” Hamlin said.
“I reflect back on the whole process and me not knowing if I would even be able to play again,” he added. “Last season was primarily just about healing and making myself do the hard stuff, thrusting myself into things that were uncomfortable, that made me fearful or gave me anxiety.
But I was doing the hard stuff last year to make it easier this year.” Hamlin was wearing a green pullover with “Don’t Quit” written on it during his interview. “It aligns with who I am,” he said.
In just 20 months, Hamlin has gone from suffering cardiac arrest and needing resuscitation on the field during a prime-time game in Cincinnati to earning a starting position in a completely revamped secondary.
Both starting spots became available after Buffalo’s seven-year starting duo was broken up in the offseason, with Jordan Poyer released and Micah Hyde still unsigned and considering retirement.
Hamlin, however, wasn’t guaranteed a starting role after Buffalo signed Mike Edwards, a fifth-year player, in free agency and drafted Cole Bishop with a second-round pick.
Edwards and Bishop have missed a lot of time due to injuries, and McDermott praised Hamlin for being consistent and developing a strong connection with Rapp on the field.
“What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said proudly about Hamlin, who was a sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh.
“It’s one thing to come back from an ACL or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back from what he went through, right, let alone just decide to play contact football. … I mean, it’s incredible,” he added.
“We’re just extremely proud and full of gratitude to watch him go through what he’s been through and where he is now.”
It was a tough journey for Hamlin, but he finds it rewarding and often reflects on his experience.
“I think about it all the time. As much as the world experienced it, it happened to me,” Hamlin said. “I enjoy that part of it because it allows me to stay connected with the reason why I’m here … and I have a second chance at doing things the right way in all areas of my life.”
Hamlin was in a medically induced coma for two days before waking up surrounded by his family.
Doctors found that his heart stopped due to commotio cordis, which occurs when a direct hit at a precise moment in the heartbeat causes cardiac arrest. Cleared to practice and told by specialists that the chances of it happening again were low, Hamlin was slowly brought back into football.
