Stefon Diggs reveals shocking details on Damar Hamlin's scary on-field collapse - "I couldn't do anything"
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin last played an NFL game in January 2023 against the Cincinnati Bengals. During the contest between the AFC giants, Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field after being hit by Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Bills' medical staff immediately performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital. After spending more than nine days in two different hospitals, Hamlin was safely discharged.
Over the course of his treatment, Hamlin received enormous love and support from players across the NFL and fans around the world. Two months after the scary collapse, there is still an eerie feeling around the league.
The thoughts and prayers of all of Bills Mafia are supporting you, Damar. 🙏 https://t.co/lDWNAOEPX4
On Thursday, the Bills wide receiver and Hamlin’s teammate Stefon Diggs made an appearance on the premiere of Uninterrupted’s The Shop. He was joined by some elite company alongside the likes of boxer Ryan Garcia, comedian and actor Desi Banks, and award-winning music artist Kane Brown.
During the show, Diggs was asked about the Damar Hamlin situation by the host Maverick Carter. The All-Pro wide receiver opened up on the exact details of what transpired on the field. Diggs said:
"I've had experience with death for many of my family, my friends. And like I try to detach myself mentally to a certain extent but in that situation like, it was kind of in and out. It was so inconsistent like he came to, he went. You know what I’m saying."
He further went on to mention how Hamlin’s heart monitor went flat, twice.
"Nobody else saw but we saw the [heart monitor] flatline. Swear to God. Saw it flatlined, twice. So it was flatlined. They shocked him, he came back and everybody was like… it's like a movie. It was such a moment of…I don’t know. It's kind of hard to describe because it's inconsistent on how to feel, Like you don't know if you wanna be... Like guys crying and then in that moment like I couldn't do anything."
“I know he had a winning spirit.” 💯
@StefonDiggs talks about @HamlinIsland’s perseverance and battling a near death experience on the field on @TheShopUN. New episode drops TOMORROW on UNINTERRUPTED's YouTube channel. 💈 https://t.co/9RiAsKdMdI
Will Damar Hamlin play in 2023?
After successful treatment from doctors in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Damar Hamlin was released from the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute in January. Since then, Hamlin has been under the constant supervision of the Bills and has made remarkable progress. He was recently spotted in attendance during the Super Bowl in Arizona.
Ain’t It A Blessing!? #SuperBowlLVII https://t.co/JgHAxTJwvy
Will Damar Hamlin play in 2023?
A special message from our guy @HamlinIsland. ❤️💙
#LoveForDamar | #ForDamar https://t.co/YF28bzeLJA
There is a lot of optimism around the Buffalo Bills and the NFL that Damar Hamlin will don his cleats and return to the field. Recently, NFLPA’s medical director, Dr. Thom Mayer, appeared on Sirius XM’s Heart to Heart program and discussed Hamlin’s future with football. He assured that the Bills safety will be back playing football again. Mayer said:
"I don't want to get into HIPAA concerns, but I promise you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again."
However, the job is far from done and the road to recovery for Hamlin is a long one. A spokesperson for Hamlin mentioned that the safety will have his heart monitored regularly. Hamlin is optimistic and in good spirits as he is progressively getting better. With the health of the player being the top priority, the Bills have left the decision of a potential return completely in the hands of the safety.
Josh Allen and the Bills were knocked out by Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the 2022 NFL playoffs. After yet another playoff failure in the past two seasons, the Bills will look to make a strong comeback in the 2023 season and potentially make a run to the Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Uninterrupted and H/T Sportskeeda.