Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a heart-stopping blow in an NFL game last January, played against Miami on Sunday in his first regular-season contest since the incident.
With a sellout crowd of home supporters cheering, Hamlin made his emotional regular-season comeback on kickoff coverage in the first quarter of a 48-20 triumph over the Dolphins, completing an emotional nine-month journey back to the gridiron.
“Good to have you back, 3,” the Bills posted on social media with a short video clip of Hamlin in a pre-game workout.
The team also posted a video of Hamlin being hugged by teammates before running onto the field just before the game and then to the stands behind the far end zone, screaming to the fans cheering him, “Let’s go!”
The 25-year old defensive back had played in all three of Buffalo’s pre-season contests but was on the team inactive list for the Bills’ first three regular-season games.
A knee injury kept Bills safety Jordan Poyer out of Sunday’s game and opened a reserve roster spot for Hamlin, who also plays on special teams kicking plays for Buffalo.
“I felt amazing,” Hamlin said after the game. “The energy from the fans was amazing, but just being out there with my teammates, having my dad in the stands ….
“Everybody on the team has given me confidence this week,” Hamlin added. “Positive energy, positive everything all week long.”
Hamlin had not played in a regular-season game since January 2 at Cincinnati, when he collided with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The blow resulted in cardiac arrest, with medical workers restoring his heartbeat on the field.
Hamlin was hospitalized in critical condition but improved and later was moved to a Buffalo hospital for more treatment before being discharged on January 11.
In April, Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced Hamlin had been medically cleared to return to the NFL and Hamlin announced that was his intention.
Hamlin was back at training camp and last month made his competitive return to the NFL in a pre-season game against Las Vegas. In all, Hamlin was on the field for 73 defensive plays and 19 others on kick teams in pre-season contests.
