Bills WATCH: Damar Hamlin Emotional Giving Tillman Award To Heroic Medical Staff
We all remember exactly where we were when it happened. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin lay motionless on the field after suffering a cardiac episode after making a tackle on Bengals wideout Tee Higgins on Jan. 2. It was a scary scene as CPR was performed on Hamlin by medical staff before he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.
ESPN reported at the time that the whole event took place in 16 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.
The training staff is credited with saving the 24-year-old's life, and he's now been cleared to return to play football this season and is expected to resume his career with the Bills this fall.
On Wednesday, Hamlin had the honor of presenting the Bills' training staff with the Pat Tillman Award at the 2023 ESPYs - and was overcome with emotion while doing so.
Hamlin had to wipe tears from his eyes while he approached the microphone. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded Hamlin as seen in the video.
He finally composed himself enough to utter, "Please welcome this year's recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service, the training staff of the Buffalo Bills," he says before embracing each member of the staff as they walk onstage.
The award was named for former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed in the line of duty in 2004 after he left the league to join the Army in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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