After a long, arduous road to recovery, Damar Hamlin has returned to the football field.
More than six months removed from his horrific cardiac scare that prematurely ended his 2022 season, Hamlin took the field at Buffalo Bills’ training camp to a rousing ovation Wednesday.
Hamlin was showered with applause entering the practice field, where he was seen fist-pumping and encouraging the audience to get louder.
Damar Hamlin (3) walks to the field before practice at the NFL football team’s training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Wednesday, July 26, 2023. APHamli collapsed after a play during a game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 in January.
The 6-foot, 200-pound safety was compromised after securing a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, a standard-looking football play that subsequently sent Hamlin into cardiac arrest, for which CPR was required.
The game was later canceled and Hamlin was in attendance when the two teams met in the AFC Divisional Round two weeks later.
Damar Hamlin signs autographs after practice at the NFL football team’s training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Wednesday, July 26, 2023. APHamlin was fully cleared to rejoin the Bills just over three months later and returned to practice with Buffalo in early June.
Higgins and Hamlin even hung out during the springtime.
Hamlin, selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, played in 14 games as a rookie safety for the Bills before developing into a starter for his sophomore campaign.
Damar Hamlin (3) and cornerback Cameron Dantzler (26) warm up before practice at the NFL football team’s training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Wednesday, July 26, 2023. APLast season, he recorded 91 tackles in 15 appearances (13 starts), along with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
