"This isn't about a football player, this is about a human" - Ryan Clark gets emotional on-air in wake of Damar Hamlin's on-field collapse
Last night, during Monday Night's showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered one of the worst injuries of all time during the game.
After making a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter, he stood up and then collapsed on the field, making him go unconscious.
The game was postponed due to the injury, and Hamlin was sent to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Former NFL safety and current analyst Ryan Clark spoke about the unfortunate injury, talking about how he was getting ready for the biggest game of his life, but is now fighting for his life.
Clark said:
"This is about Damar Hamlin. It's about a young man at 24 years old that was living his dream that a few hours ago was getting ready to play the biggest game of his NFL career. And there's probably nowhere else in the world he wanted it to be. And now, he fights for his life."
Clark went on to discuss the risks and the ugly side of football that players face when they step onto the field, with a rare example occurring last night.
He said:
"So many times in this game, and in our job as well. We use the clichés, you know, 'I'm ready to die for this,' 'I'm willing to give my life for this,' 'it's time to go to war.' And I think sometimes we use those things so much. We forget that part of living this dream is putting your life at risk. And tonight, we got to see a side of football that is extremely ugly, a side of football that no one ever knows outside of football that no one ever wants to see, or never wants to admit exists."
He continued:
"When you see both teams on the field, crying in that way, your first thought is Damar Hamlin, the second thought is his family. And this isn't about a football player. Right? This is about a human. This is about a brother, this is about a son. This is about a friend. This is about someone who is loved by so many that you have to watch go through this."
In case you missed it - please watch @Realrclark25 speaking on Damar Hamlin.
"This isn't about a football player, this is about a human."
https://t.co/kEYX2LFQI7
Damar Hamlin's update
The Buffalo Bills provided an update on Hamlin's status at 1:48 AM ET on Twitter.
According to the team, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a hit on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, and his heartbeat was restored on the field. He was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and is currently in critical condition.
Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
More updates will be provided in the next day(s) and hopefully, he will be able to make a recovery.
The makeup date for the Bills-Bengals game has not yet been announced, but it is expected to resume play within the next day or two.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Ryan Clark and H/T Sportskeeda