Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin went onstage at the ESPY Awards to present the Pat Tillman Award For Service to the training staff who saved his life.
This moment. 🫶
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 13, 2023
Damar Hamlin was moved to tears introducing the Bills training staff who saved his life as they were honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the @ESPYS. pic.twitter.com/uxbo1IcfYF
It was an emotional moment. Hamlin shed tears, and the audience — made up of other football players, staff, and family members — gave him a standing ovation.
The staff members who responded to his cardiac arrest episode walked out to hug Hamlin and pat him on the back.
According to the Associated Press, on Jan. 2, Hamlin passed out on the field during a game. He was administered CPR for nearly 20 minutes before being rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
He was placed on a ventilator and was in critical condition for days. On Jan. 6, he was taken off the ventilator, but remained in critical condition.
On Jan. 9, he was finally listed as being in stable condition and flown to the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.
He was released from the hospital on Jan. 11 and spent months recovering.
Although the cause of the cardiac episode is still unknown, Hamilin admitted on April 18 that he intends to get back on the field and play football again.
He said, “I just want to show people that fear is a choice, that, you know, you can keep going in something without having the answers.”
“You might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you just keep putting that right foot in front of the left one and you keep going,” he added.
Now, his appearance at the ESPY Awards has been posted to social media by his team, and an outpouring of support from fans has flooded the comments.