Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who returned to the NFL after suffering cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2023 against the Cincinnati Bengals, has been named the league's Comeback Player of the Year.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, who led his team to a playoff berth after being hired midseason, was another favorite for the award. But even he knew Hamlin had to pay for what he'd been through just to get back on a football field this season.
Hamlin's NFL future was the last thing on everyone's mind when he walked into Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on “Monday Night Football” for all the world to see. The tragic scene led everyone watching to worry only about Hamlin's health.
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Damar Hamlin arrives at the heartwarming Super Bowl 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort on February 7, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mindy Small/Getty Images)
Hamlin's heart stopped on that field, and if it weren't for the quick actions of the Bills' training staff, as well as those at the UC Health Trauma Center in Cincinnati, he wouldn't be where he is today.
He certainly wouldn't have been able to receive the Alan Page Community Award at last year's NFL Honors, but even then, everyone was wondering if Hamlin would ever return to a football field.
DAMAR HAMLIN SAYS WINNING NFL COME-BACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR WOULD BE 'SUPER SPECIAL', TALKS GOALS FOR 2024
Just a few months later, he was cleared for football activities and Hamlin was able to make the Bills' 53-man roster heading into his third NFL season.
The Bills used Hamlin sparingly for obvious reasons this season, making sure he was 100% healthy enough to play. He was able to dress for five games, making two tackles.
Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Images)
Hamlin also played in the Bills' playoff contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he had an infamous fake punt attempt (a snap in Bills territory) thwarted by the Chiefs' special teams in the team's loss.
Despite the lack of playing time he's accustomed to, Hamlin's recovery efforts, the work the Bills and the rest of the league watched him do just to be able to put the pads back on, inspired the entire country.
“I never did it for the award,” Hamlin told Fox News Digital before the awards show. “I didn't come back to win an award. I came back for the love of the game and to prove something to myself. I set a goal and I wanted to achieve it.”
Hamlin said he has “big goals” for the 2024 season, which will be the last of his rookie contract.
FILE – Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin watches during an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Aug. 26, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez, File)
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The fact that he is in a position to think about another contract and more years in the NFL is inspiring to everyone who loves the game.
