Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Damar Hamlin: NFL game suspended after player collapses on field

Damar Hamlin: NFL game suspended after player collapses on field

American football star Damar Hamlin is in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during a primetime US National Football League game.

The Buffalo Bills player, 24, fell to the ground after colliding with an opponent during the first quarter of a match against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He received on-field medical attention for more than 30 minutes before being taken to a local hospital.

The NFL suspended the game for the night about an hour after the incident.

His team, the Buffalo Bills later confirmed the cardiac arrest in a statement and said that his heartbeat was restored on the field.

In a tweet early on Tuesday, the team said Hamlin is undergoing further testing and treatment and is currently sedated.

The emergency sparked an outpouring of support for Hamlin and brought attention back to the dangerous nature of America's most popular sport as the NFL season approaches its climactic play-off stages.

Hamlin was tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Higgins' helmet appeared to hit Hamlin in the chest. After initially getting to his feet, he fell on his back.

Players from both teams gathered around Hamlin as emergency medical staff gave CPR and oxygen. Several were seen visibly distressed, with many kneeling to pray and some in tears.

Television coverage repeatedly broke away from the scene on the field, while the crowd in Cincinnati remained silent during the ordeal.

Jordon Rooney, Hamlin's representative, wrote on Twitter: "His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them."

NFL games are rarely suspended because of injury. Commentators said the fact that gameplay had stalled was a sign of the shocking and severe nature of the emergency.

The two teams are among the top Super Bowl contenders this year, with their head-to-head coming in the primetime Monday night slot in the penultimate week of the NFL's regular season.

The league's players' association wrote in a statement: "We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar's health and well-being."


Buffalo Bills players kneel to pray as the ambulance carrying teammate Hamlin leaves the field

Hamlin, a native of McKees Rock, Pennsylvania, was drafted from the University of Pittsburgh by the Bills in 2021.

He has drawn praise for hosting annual Christmas toy drives in his hometown since before he was a paid athlete.

An online GoFundMe page for the toy drive was reshared after Hamlin collapsed on Monday and has raised nearly $3m (£2.5m).

Buildings across Cincinnati were lit up in blue on Monday evening, including Paycor Stadium where the incident occurred.

The safety of American football has been much debated in recent years but usually over concussion rather than cardiac risks.

Many former NFL players have the the degenerative brain condition CTE which research has linked to repeated hits to the head.

The game was suspended in the first quarter


Blunt trauma is common in contact sports, but it's rare that it causes heart issues like this.

A direct hit to the chest can result in cardiac arrest. That's when the heart stops beating properly and is unable to do its job of pumping blood around the body.

It's different to a heart attack, which happens when blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off.

In Hamlin's case, medics were able to quickly get his heart beating again. It's not yet known what internal injuries he may have sustained from the incident and whether there has been any significant damage to his heart.

Good wishes for the stricken player have poured in.

Basketball star LeBron James said: "It was a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid."

Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt wrote on Twitter: "Please be ok man. Please be ok", while retired Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark told ESPN's SportsCenter show: "This isn't about a football player, this is about a human."

Bruce Sharpe, a Bills fan who was in the stadium when it happened, said it was "devastating".

"Everything got dead silent. Even the Bengals fans, you know, you don't want to see anything like that," he said. "We're just praying that everything's okay."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×