Bills' Radio Voice Details Health Scare in New Book; Returning This Season?

Buffalo Bills' radio announcer John Murphy has written a book on the stroke that sidelined at the end of last season.

Months after suffering a stroke, Buffalo Bills radio announcer John Murphy has opened up about his health crisis.

Murphy suffered his stroke ahead of the Bills' Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the same game safety Damar Hamlin frighteningly went into cardiac arrest. Murphy's stroke prevented him from calling not only that game, but the regular-season finale against the New England Patriots and both Bills playoff games.

In Murphy's new book "If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Buffalo Bills' Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box," which he co-authored with Rochester-based author Scott Pitoniak, he recounted how he felt something was off at a New Year's Eve Party. Despite initially resisting going to the hospital, Murphy eventually caved as his condition continued to worsen.

“As Sunday wore on, I wasn’t getting any better; I was getting worse," Murphy wrote, per the Buffalo News. "And around 4 p.m., I finally stopped being pig-headed and agreed to have Mary drive me to the Gates Vascular Institute at Buffalo General Medical Center. The instant I showed up, the nurses picked up on the warning signs. They could see I had suffered a stroke and sprang into action … A lot of what happened to me after that remains hazy, kind of a blur."

Murphy later added that he was so distraught over not making the trip to Cincinnati, that he considered not watching the game at all. His friends eventually changed his mind, but watching Hamlin's horrific injury live was too much to handle.

“It was probably even tougher for me than others because it struck close to home, given what I was going through,” Murphy wrote. “As I watched the first responders attend to him, I couldn’t help but cry. It was too much for me to handle. I eventually decided I couldn’t watch it anymore.”

As Hamlin has gone through a remarkable journey back to football, he has also served as an inspiration to Murphy. Additionally, the outpouring of support from the NFL world has helped keep Murphy going through a difficult recovery.

“As Mary and I read the cards, letters, texts, and emails, and listened to the voicemails, I couldn’t help but cry,” Murphy wrote.

Murphy has not yet returned to the booth, as Bills beat reporter Chris Brown has filled in for him since his stroke. But he is still playing an active role in the community. Murphy will reportedly take part in a book signing on Sept. 12, followed by a radio appearance on Sept. 16.

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You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter at @JonAlfano_News

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