Players, coaches and football fans are anxiously awaiting updates about Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills player who suffered a cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was sedated and in critical condition as of early Tuesday morning.
In a statement released midday Tuesday, Hamlin’s family thanked first responders, medical professionals, both football teams and fans around their country for their support, prayers and donations.
“Please keep Damar in your prayers,” they said. “We will release updates as soon as we have them.”
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BuffaloBills player Damar Hamlin is in critical condition after collapsing in a game
The 24-year-old’s collapse — which happened in the first quarter, after he collided with a Bengals player — brought a rare early halt to the game and left onlookers both on and off the field distraught.
Players, teams and athletes from football and other sports have flooded social media with tributes and prayers. Among them is his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, where he spent five years playing for his hometown before joining the NFL in 2021.
“Damar Hamlin is the best of us,” the Pitt football account tweeted.
Charting his path from Pittsburgh
Hamlin grew up playing both football and basketball in McKees Rocks, a borough in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area in Western Pennsylvania.
AP
He made a name for himself in high school, leading his team to a 15-1 record, a WPIAL Class AAAA championship and PIAA state title in his senior year. Recruitment sites Rivals and 247Sports named Hamlin the top-rated defensive player in Pennsylvania and several Division 1 football schools pursued him.
But staying close to home was an easy decision, as Hamlin told the Point Park Globe in 2021.
“I was just so Pittsburgh. Everything was Pittsburgh for me,” he said. “I wanted to give my city bragging rights, bring my city something and just give the city another reason to smile.”
Tributes pour in from across the sports world for Damar Hamlin
Hamlin’s junior season was his first full season of college football because of injuries, but he would go on to start in 36 of his final 38 games, the Athletic reports. In his final season, he was named a captain by his teammates and earned a spot on both the All-ACC second team and the Reese’s Senior Bowl all-star game.
He declared for the NFL draft in 2021 and was selected by the Bills in the sixth round.
Emerging as a team leader
Hamlin played sparingly as a rookie in his first pro season, but took over as a starting safety in September after his teammate Micah Hyde suffered a neck injury.
He has played in all 15 games so far, tallying 91 tackles (tied for second-most on the Bills), six tackles for loss, two pass breakups and 1.5 sacks this season.
•Culled from NPR sports
