Mike Tomlin knows Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin very well. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach spoke to the media on Tuesday to talk about Hamlin who collapsed during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Hamlin played high school and college football in the Pittsburgh area, and Tomlin said he’s known him “since he was about 12.”
“I’ll say this about Damar Hamlin – it’s a really personal thing to me, being a Pittsburgher and that young man being a Pittsburgher, I’ve known that guy probably since he was about 12,” Tomlin said, per Fox News. “I’ve just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of doing what he is right now, which is playing in the NFL. To watch him make personal decisions, and make that a realization, it’s just an honor to get to know young people like that.”
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Tomlin went on to say that he told Hamlin that he was proud of him when the Steelers would face the Buffalo Bills. “I had the opportunity to express that to him whenever I see him,” Tomlin added. “We play Buffalo each of the last two seasons, and he and I get to have a moment.”
Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. The medical staff began CPR on Hamlin and were able to restore his heartbeat before sending him to the hospital. Hamlin is in ICU and remains in critical condition. The NFL postponed the Bills-Bengals game and a makeup date has not been announced.
“I got a lot of love for that young man,” Tomlin stated. “We lift him and that organization up in prayer. [I] reached out to Sean McDermott to lend whatever assistance I could, but I don’t have a lot to add other than that. I just respect the fact you guys appreciate how personal it is for me. Not only for me but for all of us as people that thrive in this space. That’s not obviously something you ever want to see.” Hamlin is a starting safety for the Bills who clinched a spot in the playoffs. He played at the University of Pittsburgh for five seasons and was selected to the All-ACC Second Team in 2020.
