Damar Hamlin Gives Heartfelt Speech at NFL Honors Surrounded by Medical Staff Who Saved His Life

By Brian Jones

Damar Hamlin appeared at the NFL Honors awards show on Thursday night along with the first responders who saved his life. The Buffalo Bills safety won the NFLPA's Alan Page Community Award on Wednesday, a little more than a month after Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"My entire life, I felt like God was using me to give others hope and now with a new set of circumstances, I can say he's doing what he's always done," Hamlin said during the speech from the stage at Phoenix Convention Center, per the Associated Press. "I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones, but it's a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose."  

Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on Jan. 2. Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington performed CPR on Hamlin on the field and earned a fifth-place vote for the NFL's MVP award. Shortly after the collapse, Hamlin's toy drive fundraiser received a plethora of GoFundMe donations and has raised $9 million. 

"Sudden cardiac arrest is something I never would have chosen to be a part of my story, but that's because our own visions are too small even when we think we see the whole picture," Hamlin said. "My vision was about playing in the NFL and being the best player I could be, but God's plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world." 

Hamlin also talked about the journey ahead of him. "My entire life I felt like God was using me to give others hope and now with a new set of circumstances, I can only say he was doing what he's always done," he said, per ESPN. "I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones, but it's a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose."

Hamlin, 24, finished the 2022 season with 91 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two passes defended. It's not clear when Hamlin will return to the field, but Dr. Thom Mayer, the medical director for the NFLPA, recently said on SiriusXM that Hamlin will play football again. 

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