Damar Hamlin delighted football fans around the world on Monday when he recorded his first NFL interception in the Bills' win over the Jaguars.
Hamlin, a Buffalo safety, collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest in a terrifying moment on “Monday Night Football” in January 2023. Since returning to the NFL after the incident, Hamlin has become an inspiration to people from all walks of life.
He added another chapter to that heartwarming story on Monday night when he intercepted a Trevor Lawrence pass in the second quarter for the first interception of his career.
“It's hard to put into words. I'm still absorbing it,” Hamlin said on ESPN after the Bills' 47-10 win. “I was just taking it one day at a time. My teammates, coaching staff and the entire Bills organization have always supported me, and that's still the same now. I'm just so grateful to be a part of the Buffalo Bills.”
Hamlin returned the interception 19 yards but was tackled and taken to the ground as the Highmark Stadium crowd roared.
“ESPN, what are you doing?! Three skies. Monday Night Football,” Hamelin said in a video posted to ESPN's social media accounts. “First interception, what better setting to play? I love you. It's 3-0. Let's keep it going.”
In a halftime interview with ESPN's Laura Rutledge, Bills head coach Sean McDermott called the moment “amazing.”
“Dammar is great. He's had a great journey,” McDermott said.
The Bills made the most of the interception, scoring on the ensuing drive to take a 27-3 lead.
“The return of Damar Hamlin might be the best football story of the decade,” former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III said. I wrote it to X. “He was dead on the field. Now he's the starting safety for the @BuffaloBills with one interception, his first in his career. Fun to watch.”
Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after colliding with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins during a game against the Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
Medical personnel responded to the scene, administered CPR, and Hamlin was transported to a local hospital, where he remained for more than a week.
He returned to the football field last season.
In an interview with The Washington Post in November before returning to Cincinnati, where the horrific incident occurred, Hamlin expressed gratitude to be alive.
“I'm grateful for life. Honestly, I'm grateful for everything: waking up, brushing my teeth, eating a meal, taking 10 deep breaths,” Hamlin said. “Life to me is more than just baseball, and it always will be until I die, but I'm even more grateful that I get to do what I do at the highest level.”
“I'm really thankful that normal life is returning, but I'm also really grateful that I can continue to compete at the highest level and continue doing what I love.”
