With tears beginning to well, Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashad Weaver shook his head and lowered it to his knees, his body swaying as he tried to express what it was like watching friend and former college teammate Damar Hamlin having to be resuscitated back to life on the football field.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, man,鈥 Weaver said Tuesday after sobbing uncontrollably at his locker. 鈥淚 missed exactly what happened but like five seconds later, seeing the first replay of it, just kind of like everybody else sitting there and holding your breath and figure out what happened.鈥
Weaver鈥檚 reaction was that of most everyone watching from home and on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night, when Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety, collapsed while going into cardiac arrest after making what appeared to be a routine tackle.
As the second-year Bills player lay sedated in a hospital bed with his family by his side at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition, Hamlin鈥檚 competitive and giving spirit was not lost on those who know him.
Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin鈥檚 uncle, told CNN in a televised interview outside the hospital Tuesday that Hamlin needed to have his heart re-started twice -- once on the field, and again after he arrived at the hospital. Glenn also provided those details to other outlets, including ESPN and NFL Network.
鈥淭hey were resuscitating him on the field before they brought him in the hospital and then resuscitated him a second time when he got to the hospital,鈥 Glenn told CNN. 鈥淚 just want to show my gratitude for the medical staff that were on hand because if not for them, my nephew probably wouldn鈥檛 even be here.鈥
Glenn said he was watching the game with some relatives in Pittsburgh. He arrived in Cincinnati early Tuesday; the cities are about 300 miles apart.
鈥淚 never cried so hard in my life,鈥 Glenn said. 鈥淛ust to know, like, my nephew basically died on the field and they brought him back to life. I mean, it鈥檚 just heartbreaking.鈥
Glenn said there were some encouraging signs, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100 per cent to 50 per cent.
鈥淗e鈥檚 still sedated right now,鈥 Glenn told CNN. 鈥淭hey just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they feel that if he鈥檚 sedated, his body can heal a lot faster than if he was woke and possibly cause other complications.鈥
The chilling scene of Hamlin's collapse, which played out in front of a North American television audience on ESPN鈥檚 鈥淢onday Night Football,鈥 has put the NFL on hold, with the game suspended. That sparked an outpouring of support in placing Hamlin鈥檚 life ahead of sports, and pushed to the forefront the generous person he is.
鈥淗e has his own clothing brand called Chasing M鈥檚, which is about chasing your dreams and chasing millions,鈥 said Weaver, who spent four years playing alongside Hamlin at the University of Pittsburgh. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 everybody鈥檚 goal in life, reaching your dreams.鈥
Players and fans from across the NFL rallied to Hamlin鈥檚 support, with vigils held in Cincinnati and outside the Bills' home stadium. The shock of what happened also reverberated in Pittsburgh, where the 24-year-old Hamlin grew up and was determined to give back to those in need.
鈥淒amar is a hero to thousands of Pittsburgh kids,鈥 Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. 鈥淒amar, we love you. We are praying for you. Pittsburgh鈥檚 always had your back. And now it鈥檚 obvious the entire country has your back, too.鈥
The Bills said Hamlin spent the night in intensive care after his heart stopped when tackling receiver Tee Higgins in the opening quarter against the Bengals. Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance, where he was joined by his mother, with teary-eyed players and coaches on both teams watching helplessly.
鈥淔irst and foremost, the Bengals continue to send thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family. Our hearts are with everyone in this unprecedented time 鈥 what we can do is support one another,鈥 Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement.
In Buffalo, the Bills changed their social media avatar to that of Hamlin鈥檚 No. 3 jersey with the words 鈥淧ray For Damar.鈥 The other 31 teams and the NFL quickly followed suit.
While some Bills players stayed in Cincinnati to be with their teammate, the rest returned home early Tuesday, when they were greeted by a handful of fans watching silently from the side of the road outside Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The Bills took the day off and were unsure when they might resume practicing, putting Hamlin above everything else, including their quest to clinch the AFC鈥檚 top seed.
The NFL鈥檚 schedule is now in flux after the game between Buffalo (12-3) and Cincinnati (11-4) 鈥 a showdown with AFC playoff race implications 鈥 was postponed indefinitely.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed both teams that their game would not resume this week. No decision has been made on whether it will be played at a later date, with the league not making any changes to its Week 18 schedule, a week before the playoffs are set to begin.
Numerous NFL teams cancelled their media availabilities, including the New England Patriots, who are scheduled to travel to Buffalo for the teams鈥 season finales on Sunday.
鈥,鈥 quarterback Josh Allen posted in a tweet.
Added offensive lineman Rodger Saffold: 鈥淗e is more than an athlete. He is a son and brother. And I pray God gives him mercy and brings him back to us.鈥
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hardscrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He spent his rookie season limited to special teams roles, and took over the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined by a neck injury.
Overnight, Hamlin went from being a relatively unknown second-year player to receiving an international outpouring of support.
His Chasing M鈥檚 Foundation eclipsed its modest goal of raising US$2,500, exceeding US$5 million by Tuesday evening.
Bills and Bengals fans gathered at the hospital immediately following the postponement of the game, with many returning on Tuesday.
Elena Weiler, 33, from Amelia, Ohio, and Billy Jeffers held a sign that said 鈥淧ray for Hamlin 3鈥 with candles in front.
鈥淚t don鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e a Bengals fan or a Bills fan, we鈥檙e here to show our support,鈥 said Jeffers, who was wearing a Bengals sweatshirt.
The Bills now face perhaps their most difficult hurdle in a calendar year filled with on- and off-field adversity. The team has seen its schedule disrupted twice by major snowstorms in the past month, including a blizzard that led to at least 40 deaths in the region over Christmas. The Bills also rallied to support the community in the aftermath of a racist shooting rampage that left 10 dead at a Buffalo supermarket in May.
On Tuesday, it was the region鈥檚 turn to rally for the team on both sides of the New York-Ontario border.
The Ontario-based Niagara Parks commission announced it will illuminate Niagara Falls in blue in honour of Hamlin.
鈥淥ur collective thoughts are with him, his family, his team and the City of Buffalo,鈥 the commission wrote.
___
AP Pro Football Writers Rob Maaddi, Mark Long and Teresa M. Walker, and AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds, Mitch Stacy and Will Graves contributed to this report.
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