Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game on Jan. 2 rocked the sports world, as fans and well-wishers everywhere watched with bated breath while the Buffalo Bills safety was carried off the field and remained in the hospital for several days. Three weeks later, Hamlin made his first public appearance at a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals — the same two teams who were playing the night of the incident. And on Sunday (Feb. 12), Hamlin was an honored guest at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, taking the field before the game with the medical professionals who helped him that early January night.
Hamlin’s triumphant Super Bowl visit was accompanied by an interview with “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan. The two discussed the scary event, as well as Hamlin’s future in football. The footballer admitted it hasn’t been easy for him as he continues to recover physically and mentally. “[I’m] still working through things. I’m still trying to process all the emotions, the trauma, that comes from dealing with a situation like that,” he said.
Doctors have left the decision to return to the field up to Hamlin, despite his fitness for play remaining a big question mark. “It’s a tough situation because they can’t really tell,” the Bills player added. “It’s an up-to-me-thing, I guess. It’s a long road; they were just worrying about trying to get me back to normal.”
Strahan, a former NFL player himself, asked Hamlin if he wanted to ever play football again. Hamlin said honestly that he’s open to it down the line, but is allowing God to dictate his next move. “You know, eventually, that’s always the goal,” he said, “but I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands.”
Hamlin is using his traumatic experience to help others, pointing out the importance of CPR and how it unquestionably saved his life on the field. “Right now I’m teaming up with the American Heart Association,” he said. “We’re trying to get 3 million people to apply and learn CPR, and that’s something I feel is important because it really did save my life that night.”
Watch his interview below.