Damar Hamlin smiled widely and waved hello while riding a scooter, then made a smooth, quick turn up a hill toward the Buffalo Bills’ dorm rooms at their training camp.
Looking carefree and happy, Hamlin seems to have moved past his earlier fears a year after his return to football following a near-death experience.
“My mind is free. My spirit is free. My soul is free,” Hamlin told The Associated Press on Sunday. “I’m able to think clearly. I’m not hindered by second thoughts of what could maybe happen again.”
Hamlin is talking about the frightening incident when he went into cardiac arrest after what seemed like a routine tackle during a game in Cincinnati on January 2, 2023. He had to be resuscitated on the field and was taken to the hospital, where he spent two days in a medically induced coma before waking up surrounded by his family.
Doctors found that his heart stopped due to commotio cordis, a condition where a direct hit to the chest at a specific moment in the heartbeat causes cardiac arrest.
Even though specialists assured Hamlin that the chances of it happening again were low, he found it helpful to take each step of his comeback—first practice, first tackle, first game—to regain his confidence.
The time that has passed also helped Hamlin gain the perspective needed to “grow and let go of the past.”
“Time heals all. That’s everything, you know, relationships, life, growth from cardiac arrest,” Hamlin said. “It’s trauma. It’s time that heals all if you allow it to.”
With less focus on the past, Hamlin now looks ahead to the challenge of competing for a roster spot, something he has been working on since the Bills picked him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
Although Hamlin’s three seasons with the Bills have helped him, nothing is guaranteed for him even with both starting safety positions open due to Jordan Poyer’s departure in free agency and Micah Hyde still unsigned and considering retirement.
Taylor Rapp is expected to fill one of the starting spots, which leaves Hamlin competing with new free agent Mike Edwards and rookie second-round pick Cole Bishop for the other position.
The competition has become more complicated as Buffalo recently added veteran free agents Kareem Jackson and Terrell Burgess to address injuries to Edwards (hamstring) and Bishop (shoulder). Hamlin hasn’t taken anything for granted since arriving for spring practices.
“He came back hungry,” general manager Brandon Beane said. “His focus is like, ‘I want to go win a job. I want to show I can prove that I can start and make plays.’ And so that’s been his focus, you know, ‘Micah and Jordan are gone. There’s new faces around. And don’t forget about me. I can still do it.’”
Coach Sean McDermott praised Hamlin for practicing at a consistently high level in June. His performance has continued to impress since training camp started two weeks ago.
“It’s fun watching him have fun out there,” McDermott said last week. “And you can tell he means business.”
Hamlin played only five games last season as the Bills were carefully bringing him back, with Rapp signed to take over the No. 3 safety spot. Hamlin had his most playing time in 2022, starting 13 games to replace Hyde, who was out with a neck injury.
Hamlin’s readiness and expectations remain the same.
“If you go back to the day I got drafted, this article that I did, I told (the writer), ‘I don’t care if I got to carry water for this team. I just want to do whatever it takes to win,’” Hamlin said. “I trust myself. I know what I can do. I have faith in my journey. And I still know my best football is ahead of me.”
He then thought about something he read the night before.
“Someone was talking about letting go of what was, to become what is,” he said. “That’s a big part of my mental process as far as progressing into this season.” Any reminders that stick with him are positive.
At training camp, there’s a tent offering CPR training for fans, something Hamlin began supporting last year. His impact goes beyond that, with Ohio recently passing a law requiring automatic external defibrillators in nearly every school or sports and recreation venue.
“I’m on a mission to get all 50 states to pass that bill as well, and I won’t stop until I do,” Hamlin said. “In the same way that I’m chasing my goals on the field, that’s me chasing my goals off the field and always prioritizing my blessings of still having a life. Still being here.”
