Damar Hamlin is pulling for his Buffalo Bills teammates in their first game since he collapsed during a “Monday Night Football” game on Jan. 2.
On Sunday, Jan. 8, two minutes before the Bills’ game against the New England Patriots, the 24-year-old NFL safety shared an image on Twitter of himself sitting in his hospital bed, drawing a heart with his hands.
He tweeted, “GAMETIME!!!” before tagging his squad and adding a blue love emoji.
Hamlin was wearing a jersey with his number three and the words “Love For Damar” on it in the shot. He also wore a cap with his team number on it.
He promptly followed up with a tweet to congratulate running back Nyheim Hines on his 96-yard kickoff return to start the game.
Hamlin just shouted, “OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!” as fans saw the Bills rejoice and a few players grow teary.
Following the spectacular scoring drive, the official Bills Twitter account posted a graphic stating that it had been three years and three months since the team’s previous touchdown kickoff return.
“Meant to be,” said the tweet, which included the hashtags “LoveForDamar” and “ForDamar.”
Hamlin retweeted the post, writing, “God Behind All This No Coincidence..” with a three.
He also left beautiful notes for Hines and tight end Dawson Knox on Twitter.
“That’s My Quarterback,” he stated in reaction to a video of teammate Josh Allen wearing a number three sweater as he arrived for the Bills’ game.
Josh Allen Represents For Damar Hamlin17 reppin' for 3. #LoveForDamar | #ForDamar
Posted by Buffalo Bills on Sunday, 8 January 2023
On Instagram, the second-year NFL player expressed his thanks for the outpouring of support he has gotten since collapsing on the field.
He flooded his Instagram stories with photos of players like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady wearing warm-up clothes and jerseys with messages like “Hamlin Strong” and “Love For Damar.” He also posted videos from clubs such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all of whom had several “Love For Damar” shirts hanging in their locker rooms.
The Bills’ Instagram feed included a video of the players heading out onto the field with “Pray For Damar” flags in hand. “You’re right here with us, @d.ham3,” the caption added.
The Bills and the NFL shared an Instagram photo in which they emphasized how several clubs outlined the number three on their grounds to express their support for Hamlin.
“#ForDamar all across the league,” the slideshow caption said.
On Jan. 7, Hamlin returned to social media with his first public comment since being wounded during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When one sends genuine love out into the universe, it returns threefold, he posted on Instagram. The love has been overwhelming, but he is grateful to everyone who has prayed for him and contacted out. They reassembled the universe behind this. If one knows him, one understands that this is just going to make him stronger. Keep praying for him on this long journey!
He also sent a similar remark on Twitter.
During the first quarter of the “Monday Night Football” game, Hamlin hit Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and momentarily stood up before tumbling onto his back.
He was administered CPR for many minutes on the field before being transferred to the University of Cincinnati’s Level 1 trauma facility.
The Bills have kept fans up to date on Hamlin’s progress since his heart arrest.
According to the specialists at UC Medical Center, Damar is making continued progress in his recuperation but remains in serious condition, the team announced on January 7. He is still breathing on his own and has outstanding neurological function.
Per the physicians at UC Medical Center, Damar is making continued progress in his recovery yet remains in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 7, 2023
He continues to breathe on his own and his neurological function is excellent.
The reason for Hamlin’s cardiac arrest has yet to be determined.
