NFL’s Damar Hamlin Suffers Jarring Injury
On January 2, 2023, 24-year-old Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapsed on the field during only the first quarter of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgens during a seemingly routine play, after which he quickly stood for a few seconds before collapsing back onto the field. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and was administered CPR, receiving medical treatment on the field for nearly twenty minutes, during which his heartbeat was restored before being taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The game was postponed and not rescheduled.
While it is not yet clear why exactly Hamlin’s heart stopped, cardiac experts have stated that the blow he received to his chest during the play may have sent his heart into arrhythmia. This is a very unusual injury, as his chest would have needed to be struck within a very small time frame – about 20 milliseconds – while his heart was relaxing. Fortunately, Damar Hamlin was discharged from the intensive care unit on Monday, January 9 and was transferred to the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute before being discharged completely on Wednesday, January 11.
In the aftermath of Hamlin’s injury, viewers both at home and inside the stadium were in a state of sadness and shock as they realized that this was more than a bad football injury, it was a moment of life and death. Hamlin’s family was met with an outpouring of support from the football world, with his GoFundMe skyrocketing into the millions, and social media was flooded with posts in support of Hamlin and his family, wishing him well and praying for his recovery. However, as players returned to practice following Hamlin’s injury, a deeper conversation surrounding player’s health and injury risks in the game seemed to have been prompted. Calais Campbell, a veteran defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens, said it was “just natural” to ask whether playing football was worth its dangers. Following his conversation with Hamlin’s parents, President Biden was asked whether he believe the N.F.L. was becoming too dangerous to which he responded “I don’t know how you avoid it. I don’t”
