As Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin receives treatment at the UC Medical Center, fans are anxiously awaiting any news on his condition.
The 24-year-old collapsed on the field during Monday night’s football game against the Bengals. His team reported he suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit. His heartbeat was restored and he's on a ventilator while undergoing a series of tests.
Don Byrd was hyped up for Monday Night Football and was shocked to see Hamlin receiving life-saving treatment after a hit that wasn't out of the ordinary.
“God bless him,” says Byrd. “I hope all is well with him. Who would have thunk a routine play…”
Byrd was eating lunch at the Holy Grail Tuesday with his 11-year-old nephew Jeremiah Engel. “When I heard what happened, I thought, I hope he survives because that would be a tragic day for football,” Engel says.
Engel liked how the teams came together on the field. “And it just shows on the screen they may act like they hate each other but really they might be good friends in real life.”
Dave Busch was at Paycor Stadium and says he's never seen anything like it. He says the injury puts it all in perspective.
“In sports, everyone looks at the contracts and how much these professional athletes are getting paid and things like that, but they don’t understand the other side of it,” he says. “And this is when you see the other side, unfortunately, which is the dark side of this game.”
Benjamin DaVila flew from Arizona to Chicago and then he and his dad drove to Cincinnati to see the game. “Everyone was just quiet and we saw an ambulance leave the stadium and we were clapping, thinking that he was OK. And then we figured out that he was in the tunnel and they were still giving him CPR.”
It’s unclear when UC Medical Center will have an update on Hamlin’s condition.
Bengals President Mike Brown issued a statement saying, “Last night was supposed to be a great night for the NFL and a great showcase for our hometown. Instead, the human side of our sport became paramount ... and in that moment, humanity and love rose to the forefront.”
