Damar Hamlin: Ryan Clark puts Bills player’s cardiac arrest into perspective

Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark has said Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest ‘isn’t about a football player,’ but ‘a human’ as the 24-year-old fights for his life.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers safety, who suffered his own medical emergency in 2007, was on ESPN’s SportsCenter when Hamlin collapsed during the Buffalo Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital where he remains in a critical condition hours after he tackled a rival Bengals receiver. There’s been an outpouring of well wishes for the young player.

Ryan Clark said Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest ‘isn’t about a football player,’ but ‘a human’

In a chilling scene, Hamlin, 24, was administered CPR on the field while surrounded by teammates, some of them in tears, as they shielded him from public view.

‘This is about Damar Hamlin,’ Clark began Monday night.

‘It’s about a young man at 24 years old, living his dream, that a few hours ago was getting ready to play the biggest game of his NFL career and there was probably no where else in the world he wanted to be and now he fights for his life.

In a chilling scene, Hamlin was administered CPR on the field while surrounded by teammates

‘When Damar Hamlin falls to the turf, you see the medical staff rush to the field and both teams are on field you realize this isn’t normal, this isn’t just football.

‘So many times in this game and in our job, we use the cliches: “I’m ready to die for this”, “I’m willing to give my life for this”, “It’s time to go to war”.

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‘I think sometimes we use those things so much we forget that part of living this dream is putting your life at risk. Tonight we got to see a side of football that is extremely ugly, a side of football that no one ever wants to see or never wants to admit exists.

‘When you see both teams on the field crying in that way, your first thought is for Damar Hamlin, the second thought is his family.  This isn’t about a football player, this is about a human, a brother, a son, a friend, about someone who is loved by so many that you have to watch go through this.

‘I dealt with this before and I watched my teammates for days come to my hospital bed and cry. I had them call me and tell me they didn’t think I was going to make it and now this team has to deal with that and they have no answers.’

Clark was rushed to hospital during a game with the Steelers against the Denver Broncos 16 years ago. He sustained a splenic infarction connected to a sickle cell trait condition he was diagnosed with as a child. 

Some of his Buffalo Bills teammates were in tears, as they shielded him from public view

Clark concluded on ESPN: ‘The next time I think that we get upset about our favorite fantasy player or the guy on our team who doesn’t make the play or we’re saying he’s worthless and we’re saying you get to make all this money, we should remember they’re putting their lives on the line to live their dream and tonight Damar Hamlin’s dream became a nightmare, for not only himself, but for his family and entire team.’ 

Hamlin was surrounded by players from both sides and treated for 16 minutes before being immobilized and taken off the field. 

Players on both teams were visibly stunned by what had happened and many were in tears on the field. The game was postponed by the NFL. 

Teammate Stefon Diggs later joined Hamlin at the hospital. About 100 Bills fans and a few Bengals fans gathered on a corner one block from the emergency room entrance with some of them holding candles.

While medical personnel were gathered around Hamlin, his playing uniform was cut off.

Tee Higgins, the man Hamlin was tackling, tweeted: ‘My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIsland (and) the Hamlin Family. I’m praying that you pull through bro. Love.’