Damar Hamilton is set to make his first NFL start since suffering an on-field heart attack in 2023, when the Buffalo Bills face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Hamilton started 13 of 15 games in the 2022 season before suffering an on-field cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
“What else can't this young man do? It's one thing to come back from a broken ACL or a broken bone. It's another thing to come back from what he came from,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said.
“Just making the decision to play football, to wear full pads and play contact football at the NFL level. I don't think I need to say anything more. It's just incredible.
“I believe that God’s hand has been and will continue to be on Tamar and his family. We are so proud and grateful to have seen what he has been through and where he is now.”
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In Her Huddle, Buffalo Bills team reporter Maddy Glab explains what it was like covering Hamlin's heart attack and subsequent recovery, including his “fairytale” kickoff return.
The 26-year-old was not sure he could take over as the starter, even though Buffalo released Jordan Poyer in March and Micah Hyde is still unsigned and considering retirement. The Bills used their second-round pick to draft Cole Bishop after signing fifth-year player Mike Edwards as a free agent.
However, with Edwards and Bishop missing significant time through injury, McDermott praised Hamilton for showing consistency and building a good on-field rapport with Taylor Rapp.
“He took advantage of the opportunities he had and stayed consistent. (He) built a level of rapport with T-Rapp, and that’s important at the safety position as well,” McDermott said.
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Hamilton made an emotional return to Cincinnati 10 months after suffering a heart attack.
Hamilton's promotion comes about 20 months after he suffered a cardiac arrest after a routine tackle in a game in Cincinnati and had to be resuscitated on the field. He then spent two days in a medically induced coma in the hospital before finally waking up with his family by his side.
Doctors diagnosed Hamlin's cardiac arrest as commotio cordis, a direct hit to a specific point in the heart that causes the heart to stop beating. Cleared to practice and assured by specialists that he had a low risk of recurrence, Hamlin gradually returned to football.
He appeared in just five games last season, serving as a backup and special teams player.
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Watch Buffalo Bills' Hamilton record his first tackle since suffering a heart attack on the field in January.
Hamilton, who had some fears when he returned last year, said he was able to focus more on football this year.
“My mind is free. My soul is free. My spirit is free,” Hamilton told The Associated Press last month. “I can think clearly. I'm not disturbed by second thoughts about what's going to happen again.”
Hamilton is a Pittsburgh area native who was drafted by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
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