Win or lose, Damar Hamlin achieved the ultimate victory on Saturday in his Buffalo Bills preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts
Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest on Jan. 2 during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, entered Saturday’s game on the second defensive series for the Bills. It was a moment the crowd in Cincinnati and a nationally televised audience thought might never happen as they watched Hamlin go down, and then be revived by medical staff on the field, that night
He spent a week in a Cincinnati hospital before returning to Buffalo. After continued medical care, he was cleared to fully participate in practice in July
One of Hamlin’s highlights on Saturday came at 7:42 in the second quarter when he stopped rookie running back Evan Hull on a fourth-and 1 play at the Buffalo 40 for no gain to force a turnover on downs
Hamlin said earlier that he understood the enormity of playing again
“Man, sometimes it’s like normal don’t exist,” Hamlin, 25, said. “But it’s a super-blessed space. To be able to do what I love again. That’s kind of the normal thing.
–Field Level Medi
