ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Damar Hamlin wouldn’t — just couldn’t — let go of the ball as he was mobbed by teammates when the Bills safety finally reached Buffalo’s sideline.
It wasn’t lost on him that his first career interception came during a Monday night outing some 21 months after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati on a Monday night in January 2022.
“We all know my last game and how that game went,” Hamlin said following a 47-10 win over Jacksonville. “So to be able to come all the way back from that, and have a special moment, it’s all God.”
Hamlin was in perfect position to pick off Trevor Lawrence’s overthrown pass intended for Brian Thomas Jr. in the second quarter. Catching the ball at Buffalo’s 41, he worked his way across the field for a 19-yard return.
Upon celebrating the pick, Hamlin gripped the ball tightly in making his way to Buffalo’s bench.
“They were a big part of me being able to make this type of comeback. They pushed me. They gave me love. They gave me grace. They gave me everything I needed on the journey,” Hamlin said, referring to his teammates. “And they were even happier than I was to get my first interception. But that just shows the community and the bond that we have here in Buffalo.”
Hamlin’s lengthy recovery and bid to resume playing began in April 2023, when he was cleared to practice with doctors assuring him the chances of a recurrence being slim. He was gradually eased back in dealing with his first practice, his first practice in pads, his first preseason game, before making the Bills roster in a backup role.
With last year behind him, the 26-year-old shed whatever trepidations he had and secured a starting spot in a retooled secondary that has Hamlin playing alongside Taylor Rapp.
“What a night for Damar,” coach Sean McDermott said. “The journey that he’s been on, and how he’s persevered.”
The interception set up Josh Allen’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir to put Buffalo up 27-3 with 2:04 remaining in the half.
“There are no words for it, man,” said Hamlin, a sixth-round 2021 draft pick out of Pittsburgh, where he also grew up. I’m still processing that as I go, but I was able to take it one day at a time.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
John Wawrow, The Associated Press