Damar Hamlin’s family expressed their gratitude for their outpouring of support for the safety of the Buffalo Bills while asking everyone to pray for the hospitalized player on Tuesday.
“We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans across the country,” Hamlin’s family wrote in a message posted on the marketing rep’s Twitter account. of the player, Jordon Rooney. “Your generosity and compassion means the world to us.”
The family also thanked first responders, medical staff at UC Medical Center, Bills and Cincinnati Bengals for their support.
The 24-year-old Hamlin remains in critical condition a day after the Bills said his heart stopped when he made a tackle in the opening half of a game against the Bengals that was later adjourned. The NFL has informed the teams that play will not be resumed this week while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged.
The league has not yet made a decision on the possibility of resuming the crucial competition at a later date.
Paramedics restored Hamlin’s heartbeat during the frantic moments on the pitch before he was rushed to an ambulance, with players and coaches on both teams in tears and hard to cover. hide his shock and emotions.
“First and foremost, Bengalis continue to send thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family. Our hearts go out to everyone during this unprecedented time – which we have What we can do is support each other,” the chairman of the Bengals, Mike Brown, said in a statement released by the team.
“As the medical staff took extraordinary measures, both teams showed respect and compassion while fans at the stadium and people across the country gave their support. for Damar and the love for each other. The people of Bengal are grateful for the love and compassion that everyone has shown. Pray for Damar.”
Hamlin was injured while handling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in a game that seemed routine and did not appear unusually violent.
There is so much respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to pursuing his goals and dreams…– Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Damar Hamlin
As the sophomore Bills player lay unconscious in his hospital bed with his family at his side, Hamlin’s competitive and dedicated spirit was not lost on those who knew him.
“All I can say is he’s fighting; he’s a fighter,” Jordon Rooney, the family representative who describes himself as a good friend of Hamlin’s, told “Good Morning America” show. of ABC on Tuesday.
“There is so much respect and love for him as a human being, committed to pursuing his goals and dreams to doing what he is doing right now, which is playing at NFL,” added Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who has known Hamlin since he was 12 years old. “Watching him make that personal decision and make it happen, it’s an honor to know young people like that. I’ve had the opportunity to express that to him every time I meet him. he .”
Niagara Falls will be illuminated in Blue tonight at 9pm in support of Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills and the City of Buffalo. Our shared thoughts are with him, his family, his team, and the City of Buffalo.@BuffaloBills @HamlinIsland pic.twitter.com/l4ApqcxuvJ
‘Nice, attentive, extremely hard working staff’
Hamlin’s teammates also rallied to support him.
“Demar Hamlin is an incredibly hard-working, caring employee. He’s loyal, honest and can always put a smile on your lips,” Rodger Saffold, who is in charge of attacking the Bills, wrote in a Twitter post. . “He’s more than an athlete, he’s a son and a brother. I pray God have mercy on him and bring him back to us.”
In the match, Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, the blow to the chest of the defence.
Hamlin then put his arm around Higgins’ shoulder and helmet to pull him down. Hamlin quickly stood up, seemingly adjusting the mask with his right hand, then fell back after about three seconds and lay motionless.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin and his family. pic.twitter.com/eKkc5GfkPz
Hamlin was taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where teammate Stefon Diggs later joined him.
About 100 Bills fans and several Bengals fans gathered in a corner a block from the emergency room entrance, some of them holding candles.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president, told reporters on a conference call early Tuesday that the league has no plans to host the game at this time, adding the health of Hamlin is the main focus.
League said they did not attempt to restart the game
NFL CEO Troy Vincent, a six-time Pro Bowl champion in his career, said on an early Tuesday morning conference call. “Right off the bat, my player hat goes on, like, how do you keep playing after seeing a traumatic event ahead of you?”
Vincent said the league did not take any steps to restart the game and did not require players to begin the five-minute warm-up period as reported by ESPN broadcasters.
Vincent said: “We never thought about warming up to continue playing. “It’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. That’s not where we should be.”
Vincent said the Bills will return to the team’s facility early Tuesday morning in Orchard Park, NY, with the exception of some players staying with Hamlin.
Team Bengal took a 7-3 lead in the first half of a match between the top knockout seeds in the AFC. Cincinnati entered the game 11–4 and led the AFC North by one game against Baltimore, while AFC champions East Buffalo led 12–3.
Many NFL teams canceled their media coverage on Tuesday, including the New England Patriots, who were due to travel to Buffalo for both teams’ season finals on Sunday. The NFL’s schedule is currently changing after Buffalo (12-3) and Cincinnati (11-3) — a match related to the AFC knockout stage race — was postponed indefinitely.
It’s unclear how the league will align its schedule to accommodate the Bills and Bengals. Both teams entering the knockout stages must play two games, including Monday night, before the post-season kicks off on January 14.
