Current:Home > FinanceBuffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin Reveals Official Cause of His Collapse While Announcing NFL Return-LoTradeCoin
Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin Reveals Official Cause of His Collapse While Announcing NFL Return
View Date:2024-12-23 21:41:59
Damar Hamlin is returning to the NFL.
Four months after suffering cardiac arrest during a game, the Buffalo Bills safety announced he will take the football field once more. And while sharing the news during an April 18 press conference, he also revealed the cause behind the collapse that saw him rushed to a hospital: commotio cordis.
"It's a direct blow at a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest, and five-to-seven seconds later, you fall out," Hamlin explained, per the NFL. "That's pretty much what everyone's seen Jan. 2 of this year. Commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth athletes across all sports. So that's something that I personally will be taking a step in to make a change."
As for his NFL comeback, Hamlin noted he wants to inspire others to push through setbacks, adding, "I just want to show people that fear is a choice."
"You can keep going in something without having the answers and without knowing what's at the end of the tunnel," the 25-year-old continued. "Or you might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you keep putting that right foot in front of the left one and you keep going. I want to stand for that."
He also reflected on what he's most grateful for—the chance to still see his loved ones everyday.
"I died on national TV in front of the whole world," Hamlin shared. "So, I see it from all perspectives. For them to still have me around, and for me to still have them, it goes both ways. And I lost a bunch of people in my life, and I know a bunch of people who have lost people in their lives, and I know that feeling. So that right there is just the biggest blessing of it all. For me to still have my people, and for my people to still have me."
Back in January, Hamlin suddenly fell during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals after tackling receiver Tee Higgins, resulting in Hamlin receiving more than 10 minutes of CPR on the field. Immediately following his collapse, the athlete received more than 10 minutes of CPR on the field before being transported to the hospital where he was in critical condition.
After spending time in the ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin was transported to New York's Buffalo General Hospital before being discharged to continue his recovery at home on Jan. 11.
The following month, Hamlin paid tribute to thanked the first responders who saved his life.
"Every day I am amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world," Hamlin said onstage at the 2023 NFL Honors in February. "Encourage to pray, encourage to spread love, and encourage to keep fighting no matter the circumstances. Sudden cardiac arrest was nothing I would have ever chosen to be a part of my story, but that's because sometimes our own visions are too small even when we think we are seeing the bigger picture."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (79)
Related
- Cavaliers' Darius Garland rediscovers joy for basketball under new coach
- New York governor vetoes bill that would ban noncompete agreements
- 3 New Jersey men to stand trial in airport garage shooting that killed 1 Philadelphia officer
- Bill Belichick: Footballs used for kicking were underinflated in Patriots-Chiefs game
- Voters in Oakland oust Mayor Sheng Thao just 2 years into her term
- Feeling holiday stress? How to say 'no' and set boundaries with your family at Christmas.
- Mike Nussbaum, prolific Chicago stage actor with film roles including ‘Field of Dreams,’ dies at 99
- FDA warns about Ozempic counterfeits, seizes thousands of fake drugs
- Georgia State University is planning a $107M remake of downtown Atlanta
- Montana tribes receive grant for project aimed at limiting wildlife, vehicle collisions
Ranking
- Threat closes Spokane City Hall and cancels council meeting in Washington state
- Connecticut man is killed when his construction truck snags overhead cables, brings down transformer
- Multiple people injured in what authorities describe as ‘active shooting’ at Florida shopping mall
- Manchester United announces completion of deal to sell up to 25% of club to Jim Ratcliffe
- Wisconsin agency issues first round of permits for Enbridge Line 5 reroute around reservation
- Delaware hospital system will pay $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations of billing fraud
- FDA says watch out for fake Ozempic, a diabetes drug used by many for weight loss
- Three men shot in New Orleans’ French Quarter
Recommendation
-
Satire publication The Onion acquires Alex Jones' Infowars at auction
-
Travis Barker and Ex Shanna Moakler Honor Beautiful Daughter Alabama Barker in 18th Birthday Tributes
-
Are stores are open Christmas Day 2023? What to know about Walmart, Target, Home Depot, more
-
What restaurants are open Christmas Day 2023? Details on McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A
-
Amazon Prime Video to stream Diamond Sports' regional networks
-
Strong earthquake in northwest China that killed at least 148 causes economic losses worth millions
-
In Mexico, piñatas are not just child’s play. They’re a 400-year-old tradition
-
Suspect arrested in alleged theft of a Banksy stop sign decorated with military drones