- Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was on site in Glendale, Arizona, for Super Bowl LVII.
- Hamlin suffered a terrifying on-field cardiac arrest during an early January Bills game in Cincinnati.
Damar Hamlin was on site at the 2023 Super Bowl just over one month after his terrifying on-field cardiac arrest.
The Buffalo Bills safety was seen on the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. He posed for photos from the endline and dapped up childhood friend-turned-Eagles running back Miles Sanders as he warmed up.
He even earned a pre-game shoutout on the Fox broadcast alongside many of the first responders who helped save his life.
—ESPN (@espn) February 12, 2023
During an early January road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin collapsed a moment after making a first-quarter tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins. The Bills defender received CPR on the field for several minutes, and visibly shaken players gathered around him to pray.
About 30 minutes after the initial hit, Hamlin was taken to a hospital in an ambulance and admitted to the ICU. In a statement, the NFL said Hamlin was in critical condition.
From there, Hamlin made what many experts described as "remarkable improvement," appearing awake and "neurologically intact" just a few days after the initial collapse. He left the hospital in Cincinnati and returned to Buffalo just a week after.
Though he's yet to return to the field — and it's unclear when, or if, he will — Hamlin was back at the Bills' stadium for a home game by January 22.
The sports world rallied around the 24-year-old in the days following his heart attack, with fans donating upwards of $8 million to his charitable toy drive and local Cincinnati students crafting adorable get-well cards for the visiting player.
Hamlin has spoken out about his gratitude in the wake of his injury. And live from Super Bowl LVII, he tweeted out a selfie with the caption "Ain't It a Blessing!?"
— (@HamlinIsland) February 12, 2023