Damar Hamlin, the valiant defensive back who miraculously rebounded from cardiac arrest on the field in January, has made the Buffalo Bills team for the 2023-24 season.
Hamlin nearly lost his life — and, in fact, had to be revived from the brink of death on the field — after he collapsed and stopped breathing following a routine tackle during his Bills’ contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
First responders were able to restart Hamlin’s heart before racing him to the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.
After months of rehabilitation and painstaking introspection, Hamllin decided to return to the game that almost took his life. The long road to recovery culminated with Hamlin surviving the final player cuts and making the final 53-man roster for the Bills.
Safety Damar Hamlin has made the Bills' initial 53-man roster, a source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. pic.twitter.com/NPsTF14bZe
— ESPN (@espn) August 29, 2023
Most notable and heartwarming to fans, especially for the zealous “Bills Mafia” fanbase, was watching Hamlin fearlessly make tackles in his first real game back during the team’s first preseason game.
According to ESPN, Hamlin is scheduled to operate as one of the team’s backup safeties and get some time in on special teams when the regular season begins on Sunday, Sept. 7.
