It was nearly two years ago when NFL fans held their collective breath as medical professionals worked to revive Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on the field, and since then, he’s gotten through each obstacle that would have precluded him from remaining a football player.
On Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hamlin intercepted a pass from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. It was the first interception of his career. Lawrence completely missed his target, and Hamlin probably made one of the easiest plays of his career.
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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin celebrates after intercepting a pass during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sept. 23, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
The Bills Mafia that packed Highmark Stadium erupted in jubilation after the turnover.
Buffalo capitalized on the next drive as Josh Allen threw his third touchdown pass of the game.
Hamlin was coming off a game against the Miami Dolphins in which he had 10 tackles, including one for a loss. He tied for the second-most tackles in a game in his career.
He earned the starting safety job in training camp after getting all the way back from the cardiac episode he suffered at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati in January 2023. He played in a few games last season, but it was mostly on special teams.
BILLS’ DAMAR HAMLIN TALKS BECOMING STARTING SAFETY AFTER CARDIAC EPISODE
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin celebrates after the game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sept. 12, 2024. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
“I’m just living my process and my journey and mission in life one day at a time,” he told Fox News Digital this month ahead of the Bills’ first game of the season. “Being able to take my process one day at a time has truly been the biggest thing for me.”
For the defensive back, he said he did not need to recalibrate his mindset to start focusing on football again. Football is always what he has been about.
“Football has always been the main theme,” he said. “Football has always been my passion. It’s always been that thing that I’ve wanted to be great at. It’s a little bit natural for me. This is something that I’ve always cared about.
Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) gestures on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
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“I just kind of had a lot of anxiety and adversity to overcome through it. That was a new process. But as far as being able to shift my focus to football, my focus has always been football, because football is truly the thing I’m most passionate about.”
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