It was nearly two years ago that NFL fans held a collective breath as medical professionals worked to revive Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on the field. Since then, Hamlin has overcome every obstacle that would have prevented him from continuing to play football.
On Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hamlin intercepted a pass from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. It was the first interception of his career. Lawrence missed the target completely, and Hamlin made perhaps one of the easiest plays of his career.
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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) celebrates after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrienne Krauss)
The Bills Mafia, filling Highmark Stadium, erupted in celebration after the turnover.
Buffalo closed out the scoring on their next drive when Josh Allen threw his third touchdown pass of the game.
Hamlin is coming off a game against the Miami Dolphins where he had 10 tackles, including one for loss, tying him for the second-most tackles in a single game of his career.
He suffered a heart attack at Cincinnati's Paco Stadium in January 2023, but made a full recovery and earned the starting safety spot in training camp. He played in a few games last season, but mostly on special teams.
Bills' Damar Hamlin talks becoming starting safety after heart attack
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin celebrates after a game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 12, 2024 in Miami. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
“I'm just living my process, my journey and my mission in life one day at a time,” he told Fox News Digital ahead of the Bills' first game of the season this month. “Just being able to go through that process one day at a time has really been the biggest thing for me.”
The defensive back said he hasn't had to readjust his mindset to focus on football again, which is what he's always wanted.
“Football has always been the main theme,” he said. “Football has always been my passion. It's something I've always wanted to be good at. It's just natural for me. It's something I've always cared about.”
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) gestures on the sideline during the fourth quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. (Charles LeClair-USA TODAY Sports)
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“Through it all, I had to overcome a lot of anxiety and adversity. It was a new process. But in terms of being able to shift my focus to soccer, my focus has always been soccer, because soccer is really what I'm most passionate about.”
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