Five months after going into cardiac arrest during the first quarter of a nationally televised football game, Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin returned to practice for the first time.
Hamlin, who was seen wearing his No. 3 practice jersey, was held back from team session drills but participated in individual drills and the stretching portions to open and end practice.
“We’re taking it one day at a time and just support Damar in every possible way,” said Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
Video: Good to see #Bills Safety Damar Hamlin back on the field, returning to normal 👏
(🎥 @JTMessinger) pic.twitter.com/lbfTh1mNEv
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 24, 2023
Hamlin was cleared to resume football activities last month and has spoken about wanting to make a comeback to the game.
“I just want to show people that fear is a choice,” Hamlin said during his first media interviews in April. “You can keep going at something without having the answers and without knowing what’s at the end of the tunnel. You might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you just keep putting that right foot in front of the left one and you keep going. I want to stand for that.”
There is no timetable for when Hamlin will start practicing in full capacity, but coaches think he is on the right path.
“To have him out there, in the drills, in the walk-throughs, in the meetings and just around day to day, I think it’s incredible,” Bills defensive backs coach John Butler said. “But based on where he’s going, I think he’s definitely heading in the right direction.”
