Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field due to cardiac arrest. Damar is a safety for the Buffalo Bills. He was completely healthy before unexpectedly going into cardiac arrest on the Football field. Athletes may seem like superheroes on the field, but they are still human.

Superheroes

People that are able to play sports at the professional level have extraordinary abilities that make us see them as more than just another regular person. These athletes are real life superheroes to all the fans watching the games. Damar is an athlete capable of amazing things. According to the NFL’s stats summary He is 24 years old, 6 feet tall, and 200 pounds.

This was Damar’s second season playing in the National Football league and his first year as a starting safety for the bills. Making his 91 tackles in just 16 games very impressive for such a young player. Damar was in peak physical condition, which is why it was so surprising to see such a person go into cardiac arrest on the field.

The Injury

On Monday, January 2, the Buffalo Bills played the Cincinnati Bengals. The live ESPN broadcast of the game shows, Nine minutes into the game wide receiver Tee Higgens of the Cincinnati Bengals, had caught a pass and was running up the field. Damar was moving downfield to make the tackle but, during the collision Higgens’ helmet made contact with Damar’s chest area. The two players went to the ground like with any normal tackle. Then, they both stood up. About 2 seconds after standing up Damar suddenly collapsed to the ground, his body went completely limp. No one knew what had happened and if he was going to be okay.

According to CNN Damar went into cardiac arrest. His heart had stopped and he was revived due to Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) done by Buffalo Bills trainer Denny Kellington. CNN explains “Medical officials said he suffered a cardiac arrest, meaning his heart abruptly stopped beating. The game was postponed and ultimately canceled.” At this point people still did not know if Damar was going to survive.

Recovery

Damar has made a lot of progress in his recovery. It has been three weeks since the game that he collapsed. Damar was in two different hospitals for nine days, and has been released for eleven days. Although, he is still being closely monitored. CNN says “Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly. He has visited with the team a few times but he still gets winded very easily,” Damar is happy to be with his team.

According to CNN “Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to the team’s stadium for a playoff game in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday, three weeks after his on-field collapse and near death… Hamlin, 24, was driven in a cart to the locker for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals at 3 p.m. ET. He was wearing sunglasses and a jacket… with the hood pulled up.”

Damar is doing much better now but the recovery process will be lengthy.

Even though he will not be able to play for a while, Damar is happy to be able to be with his team again. Damar has stayed positive throughout the incident and is prepared to continue to overcome this.