When Damar Hamlin laid still on the field last year after suffering cardiac arrest, millions were praying for his life. Few would’ve predicted he’d be back on an NFL field less than one year later, but that’s exactly what happened in an emotional scene that played out in Buffalo yesterday.
ESPN’s “Sunday Countdown” crew played and reacted to a pregame prayer that Hamlin was part of, with host Samantha Ponder calling it a “touching prayer” ahead of the game. Watch:
“It’s easy to forget because, in the league, everything moves so quickly and we move on to the next thing,” Ponder added. “But just what that man… has been through, what his family has been through, what that entire organization has been through to get to this point is just incredible.”
Former NFL player Teddy Bruschi, who suffered a stroke during his playing career and fought to make a comeback, weighed in on the emotional prayer. “It’s emotional. You feel all your family members in those stands also watching that first play and to see you do that and then walk off the field still healthy. You’re back doing what you want to do. I’m very proud of that young man.”
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A fired up Hamlin ran onto the field with his teammates, arms spread wide, a moment that clearly energized and inspired the Bills, who went on to trounce the high-powered Miami Dolphins 48-20.
“Really big — that moment was everything to me,” Hamlin said, describing his return to the gridiron. “I think it was more so about promising to myself than anything else, just showing myself that I have the courage, I have the strength, that I have the pride, everything, all those words, in me to be able to go through something traumatic and to be able to come back from it.”
Hamlin played a special teams role in his comeback game, getting the opportunity to play due to starting safety Jordan Poyer’s injury, and he made the most of it. Hamlin showed no hesitancy, passing all on-field tests in a full-speed regular season game, after playing in all three preseason games and making the Bills’ roster in August.
Doctors assured him he can continue playing without fear of setbacks or recurrence.
“To be able to still do what I love at the highest level in the world is amazing,” Hamlin added.
Coach Sean McDermott marveled at Hamlin’s progress: “What, nine months ago, this young man is in the situation he was in, and now he’s back.”
Prayer was center stage when Hamlin’s near-death experience unfolded in front of millions of Americans.
CBN Digital reported on it at the time:
It’s been a nervous week for Damar Hamlin’s family, players on the Buffalo Bills and around the NFL, and much of the country waiting, praying and hoping for a miracle. Friday morning it appears the prayers of many have been answered in a favorable way.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark talked about the “power of God” and the “power of prayer.”
Dan Orlovsky, who went viral for stopping the program on ESPN to pray for Hamlin, reacted to news that Hamlin FaceTimed with teammates this morning.
Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott detailed the emotional FaceTime call during a press conference today.
“They stood up right away and clapped for him, shouted a few things to him,” McDermott said while describing the players reaction to the call, which was a surprise to the team. Staffers routed the call to the big screen in the players meeting room, and the team was elated when seeing him appear.
“He (Damar) flexed, made the heart symbol, and gave them the thumbs up. It was hard to hear but he said ‘I love you boys’ to the team,” McDermott added. His words, which were hard to hear, got the entire team choked up, according to McDermott.
Hamlin has made incredible progress. From his heart stopping on Monday night to speaking with his teammates on Friday, he has come a long way. On Thursday news broke that Hamlin was awake and conscious. He wrote a note to physicians asking if the team won the game Monday.
“Did we win?” he asked, to which the doctors replied “Yes, Damar. You won. You won the game of life.”
Dr. Timothy Pritts, division chief of general surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, said there has been “substantial improvement” over the past day, CNN reported.
“We had significant concern about him after the injury and after the event that happened on the field, but he’s making substantial progress,” Pritts said. “As of this morning, he is beginning to awaken, and it appears that his neurological condition and function is intact.”
Pritts cautioned that Hamlin continues to be critically ill and is still receiving intensive care, as doctors explore the cause of his cardiac arrest.
Ron Butler, Damar’s agent, confirmed the development as the Bills were scheduled to return to practice Thursday – the first time since Hamlin’s heart stopped in Monday night’s game.
Mario Hamlin, Damar’s father, also spoke with the entirety of the Bills team Wednesday, informing them his son is “making progress” after the terrifying ordeal, Fox News reported.
And on Thursday, Billy cornerback Kaiir Elam thanked the Lord for Hamlin’s progress.
“Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement,” he tweeted. “Thank you, God. Keep the prayers coming, please. All love 3!”
The Bills also announced Thursday Hamlin has shown “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours.”
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” a team statement read. “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal, and he is making steady progress.”
The statement continues, “We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
His family said they are encouraged by all the prayers and support.
“They are elated right now,” Hamlin’s marketing representative, Jordon Rooney said. “Damar is still their first concern. But for them, they always look at how they can turn a somewhat troubling situation into a good one. The bounce back from this, for him and his family, is going to be incredible.”
As CBN’s Faithwire reported, one of the most powerful moments of prayer came Tuesday night when ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky prayed for Hamlin during NFL Live.
Orlovsky prayed this prayer:
“God we come to you in these moments that we don’t understand, that are hard, because we believe that You’re God, and coming to You and praying to You has impact. We’re sad, we’re angry, we want answers, but some things are unanswerable. We just want to pray, truly come to You and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar, to be with his family, to give them peace. If we didn’t believe that prayer … worked, we wouldn’t ask this of You, God. I believe in prayer, we believe in prayer, and we lift up Damar Hamlin’s name in Your name, Amen.”
Columnist Joshua Arnold writing for the Washington Stand said moments like this prayer are the only thing appropriate in times of crisis.
“This moment demonstrates that Christianity still maintains incredible cultural influence in America, despite decades of routine mockery and secular infiltration. When unexpected, unexplained tragedy strikes, ordinary citizens and influential people across America’s institutions alike turn to prayer,” he wrote.
“In matters of life and death, finding distraction in an entertaining ball game is inappropriate, insignificant quarreling is inappropriate, emotionless detachment is inappropriate. What is appropriate in a crisis is prayer, as thousands of Americans have recognized this week,” Arnold concluded.
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