Damien Harris’ Injury Brought ‘PTSD’ To Bills Players After Damar Hamlin’s Brush With Death

Damien Harris’ injury

During the game against the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills running back suffered a neck injury after being tackled by linebacker Bobby Okereke on a 1-yard gain up the middle to convert a third-and-1 situation.

Harris’ helmet appeared to hit the defensive player squarely in the left shoulder as he went down. The game was delayed for about five minutes while medical staff rushed out onto the field and players from both teams gathered around him as he lay on his back. In a good sign, Harris flashed a thumbs up with his left hand as he was being loaded into the ambulance.

Fellow Bills player Damar Hamlin anxiously watched on, no doubt the image of the ambulance on the field brought back memories of his brush with death earlier in the year when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.

Left tackle Dion Dawkins checked to make sure Harris was breathing, which is something that wasn’t immediately clear with Hamlin. “Especially after last year, anytime the ambulance has to come on the field, it brings PTSD,” Dawkins told The Athletic. “It’s hard. It’s really hard, man.

He continued: “I hate to say it like this, but before every game starts in this league, you have to hug your loved ones just a little bit closer. You really never know.” He continued: What happened last year doesn’t prepare you any more. It’s just tough, and it’s sad. Any moment, that can be it.”

Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa said: “I’ve always hated it. Seeing it happen firsthand to Damar, it was no different tonight. Every time someone is down, that sick feeling goes through your body.”

After the game, Bills coach Sean McDermott expressed relief that his player had gotten through the incident. “It’s my understanding he has full movement,” he explained, following his team’s 14-9 win. “Fortunate that he is seemingly heading in a good direction, with the reports we are getting. So I am very thankful to God for that.”

What happened to Damar Hamlin?

Just nine minutes into the game, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins rammed into Hamlin at full speed, hitting him in the chest area after catching a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Burrow. The 24-year-old Hamlin stood up, appeared to adjust his helmet and took two steps before falling backward; his body appearing limp in a horrifying moment for all tuned into the game.

Hamlin would be down for more than 18 minutes while receiving medical attention on the field—both CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) were administered before an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital. Bills players gathered around their teammate to shield him from public view, though they and their competitors were visibly distressed by what had occurred to their comrade.

The Buffalo Bills defensive player experienced cardiac arrest after his tackle on Higgins, according to an official statement by his team. “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” the statement said. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

Rony Shimony, MD, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, told Katie Couric Media, “You have to be very unlucky. You have to be hit in the right place, with enough force, timed at the right point in the cardiac cycle to cause the heart to fibrillate.” Despite the physicality of the NFL, this is an extremely rare occurrence; there are about 30 cases in the US each year in total.

Later in the evening, one of Hamlin’s representatives posted an update to Twitter saying his “vitals are back to normal” but he had been intubated while doctors continued to perform tests. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent observed it was of “critical importance” medical professionals were able to restart Hamlin’s heart while he was still on the field.