Response to Hamlin collapse showed us life is greater than any game

Editor's Note: This column was updated on Jan. 11 following the good news of Hamlin's progress.

I’ve covered a lot of football games in my life.

Never did I think I would see a player die on the field. But I did on Monday, Jan. 2.

Thank goodness Damar Hamlin did not stay that way long. He was resuscitated, but spent several days with us all concerned whether he’d live or die before taking a turn for the better.

He was making a tackle, something he’d done countless times in his life. Then, suddenly he fell backwards onto the turf. Just like that he went from being a mighty gladiator playing the toughest sport in America to someone who could not breathe on his own.

The prayers of myself and many others across the nation and the world continue to go out to him. While he is making what has been labeled as a “remarkable recovery,” his future remains in limbo.

From everything I’ve heard about the 24-year-old Hamlin he is a fine young man, a charitable young man. He started an annual toy drive for children in 2020, shortly after finishing his college career at Pitt.

In his second season as a defensive back for the Buffalo Bills he was living the dream of many youngsters, getting paid lots of money to play the game he loves the most on the world’s biggest stage, the NFL.

Now, those dreams have turned into question marks.

I’m glad the NFL opted not to finish the game. I’ve no doubt they would have continued that night had not more compassionate heads and hearts prevailed. In fact, the original announcement was that the players and coaches would have five minutes before resuming play, and it wasn’t until more than an hour later that the game was officially postponed.

Thank goodness the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals players and coaches said in unison, “No. Not happening.”

Without players and coaches, you can’t have a game. Kudos to them for putting compassion and human life ahead of touchdowns and field goals.

The ridiculousness of paying the worst player in the league more than most of us will make in a lifetime still exists, as does an ordinary family having to skip making a car payment to see a game in Jerry Jones’ stadium.

But so does something else. The unity shown by both teams following the tragedy renews an optimism that pro athletes are not just spoiled millionaires. They have a brotherhood that exceeds even the most lucrative contract and it was on full display that night and even after, as several players followed the Hamlin family to the hospital in support of Damar.

No amount of diving catches, slam dunks, end zone celebrations, or home plate high-fives will better exemplify what players and coaches for both teams did in the wake of this on-field tragedy. They showed love, class, and compassion, things all young people cannot see enough.

With all due respect to the highlight reels on SportsCenter, the emotion shown by the Bills and Bengals in this moment is 100 times more worth showing. It’s also much more impactful.

The game is exciting. The game is dangerous. Trophies are wonderful things to hoist after the greatest of victories.

The game is also played by real life human beings. We were reminded of that by Damar Hamlin.

We were also reminded that not all pain in the game is restricted to the football field, and that there is a fine line between battling for a championship and fighting for your life.

The Buffalo Bills might be lifting the Super Bowl championship trophy next month. In the meantime, let’s pray that Hamlin comes away with the biggest victory of his life.