Pitt's Damar Hamlin Named NFL Comeback POTY Finalist

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers star defensive back Damar Hamlin is up for one of the most prestigious awards an NFL player can receive.

The Associated Press (AP) announced their NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidates, which includes Hamlin, along with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins and New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Finalists for Comeback Player of the Year:

— Joe Burrow
— Sam Darnold
— JK Dobbins
— Christian Gonzalez
— Damar Hamlin pic.twitter.com/Xf0ApOsW3Z
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 23, 2025

He started 14 games in the regular season for the Buffalo Bills, ranking third on the team with 89 combined tackles and second with 62 tackles. He also started in the 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round, making four tackles (one solo).

Hamlin also made two interceptions, with the first of his career coming in the 47-10 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 and the other coming in the 34-10 home win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7.

He also forced a strip sack on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the AFC Divisional Round, a 27-25 win for the hosts.

Hamlin stepped up for the Bills in 2022, with safety Micah Hyde out for most of the season. He recorded 91 tackles (63 solo), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 15 games, starting every game in the secondary from Week 3 onward.

In a Week 17 Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, Hamlin collapsed to the field after suffering a cardiac arrest. He made a comeback from an almost near death experience on the field and came back last season, playing a much smaller role last season.

He only played in five regular season games, making two tackles and attempted an unsuccesful fake punt in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round at home.

Hamlin was also a finalist for NFL Comeback Player of the Year last season, but lost out to then Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.

The AP changed the criteria for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award last June, which focuses on overcoming illness and injury, rather than not playing as well for a few seasons and suddenly having a great campaign, like Flacco did with the Browns.

The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season," according to AP senior NFL writer Rob Maadii via Pro Football Talk.

Hamlin hails from McKees Rocks, Pa. and played for Pittsburgh Central Catholic, where he helped the team to two WPIAL Class 4A Titles in 2013 and 2015 and a PIAA Class 4A Title in 2015.

247Sports and Rivals both listed Hamlin as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2016, with 247Sports ranking him at No. 5 in Pennsylvania, No. 21 cornerback and No. 218 in the country, while Rivals had him at No. 4 in the commonwealth, No. 7 safety and No. 126 in the United States.

He would only play in three games as a true freshman in 2016, but managed to play in nine games, starting four at safety in 2017, still missing three games with injury, while making 41 tackles, one TFL and an interception.

Hamlin led the team with 90 tackles, while adding three TFLs, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery, receiving Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition in 2018, playing in all 14 games and helping Pitt win the ACC Coastal Division and make the ACC Championship Game

He finished second on the Panthers with 84 tackles and was third with 10 pass breakups in 2019, starting 12 games.

Hamiln earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2020 as a redshirt senior, as he made 66 tackles, 38 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defended and two interceptions.

He made 275 tackles, 185 solo, 10 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 21 pass breakups and a fumble recovery in his five seasons at Pitt from 2016-20.

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