For Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, his first padded practice following January’s cardiac arrest encompassed a “rollercoaster of emotions.”

He said it felt amazing to be back and marked a big hurdle in his path toward returning.

But some fear still lingered.

“In football, you can’t hit that field with no hesitation,” Hamlin said Monday. “You’re putting yourself in more danger by doing that. I made the choice to play. I’m processing a thousand emotions. I’m not afraid to say that it crosses my mind of being a little scared here and there.

“My strength is rooted in my faith and my faith is stronger than any fear. That’s what I want to preach and that’s the message I want to spread to the world. As long as your faith is stronger than your fear, you can get through anything. So, that’s what I’m living by right now.”

Hamlin is working his way back to the field after suffering cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.

The 25-year-old defensive back announced in April he would return, saying: “This event was life changing, but it’s not the end of my story.”

He added: “I just want to show people that that fear is a choice and you can keep going in something without having the answers and without knowing what’s at the end of the tunnel. You might feel anxious or any type of way, but you just keep putting your right foot in front of the left one, and you keep going.”

That fear is still there, as would be expected, but Hamlin is working toward making his return in front of Bills Mafia.

“I was kind of all over the place being back for the first time,” Hamlin said. “But God don’t make no mistakes. I’m on God’s time. As much as the NFL is on schedule and camp starts this date, this is all God’s timing. You’ll hear me say that a lot, I’m trusting in him. That’s my strength in all this right now.”

Hamlin, a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft, tallied 63 solo tackles while starting 13 games last season.

“My (teammates) do a good job of checking on me mentally and keeping everything in perspective,” Hamlin said. “I feel most at peace when I’m here, when I’m in buffalo, when I’m with my teammates and back around this game. I get my most peace here.”

Before practice, Hamlin played catch with his younger brother, Damir.

During the stretching period, the team’s head trainer, Nate Breske, went over to shake Hamlin’s hand.

Following his news conference, Hamlin wandered over to a large group of fans to sign autographs.

Hamlin’s influence is evident on the training camp grounds, where fans can receive CPR training at an American Heart Association tent.

With his Chasing M’s Foundation, Hamlin made stops in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to promote CPR training and hand out free automated external defibrillators to sports organizations.

And he received a stunning reminder of what had happened to him just before training camp began when NBA star LeBron James’ son, Bronny, went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout in Southern California last week.

He has since been released from the hospital.

“It put everything back in perspective for me,” said Hamlin, who reached out to the James family after they supported him during his recovery. “I wanted to let him know I’ll be there for whatever he needs in his journey as far as his recovery and getting back to his sport, if that’s what he chooses to do.”

Hamlin made his choice and is sticking with football for as long and far as it takes him.

“Some of these emotions will never leave. Whenever everybody’s not paying attention to me no more, I’ll still be processing these emotions myself,” he said.

“I kind of look at it like a challenge,” Hamlin added. “Not too many people get this level of overcoming something and being able to stand for so many good things. … It’s a blessed space, and it’s a bunch of opportunity in there as well, if you choose to look at it that way.”

— With AP