Bengals player tackled by Damar Hamlin: I appreciate his family 'having my back'
Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins is relieved to hear that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is showing signs of progression.
Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the Monday, Jan. 2, game after he tackled wide receiver Higgins. The NFL player was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition.
On Jan. 5, doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who are treating Hamlin said that he’s “beginning to awaken” and has continued to show “substantial improvement.”
Upon hearing the latest update, Higgins expressed his happiness.
“I got news this morning and it was another big relief off my chest and knowing he’s responsive and writing is good,” Higgins said, per NBC affiliate WLWT. “What happened was a tragedy and just continue to pray, God has him.”
The athlete shared that Hamlin’s mother texted him earlier that morning with the update and said she's praying for him. He said, “It made me feel more at home, I appreciate them and them having my back as well, feels good.”
Higgins added that his teammate Tyler Boyd, who is Hamlin's childhood friend, and his own mom have kept him calm amid the situation.
Boyd — who grew up with Hamlin and played in the same youth organization as him — also spoke to reporters that same day, saying, “That’s one of my close friends, I wanted to be there and support him I wanted to be the closest family member he had there because I knew he would do the same for me.”
The Bengals will return to the field on Sunday, Jan. 8, with Higgins saying that he plans to play.
“Because I know at the end of the day I’m here to do a job and my teammates need me and I need my teammates as well,” he said.
During the doctor's press conference, Dr. Timothy Pritts, division chief of general surgery at University of Cincinnati Health, shared that when Hamlin awoke he asked who won the game, to which they replied, “Yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life.”
When Higgins heard Hamlin’s question about who won, he said, “I had a smile on my face when I heard that, because that’s something I’d ask as well and that’s how you know he was locked in.
“He definitely won the game of life because that was crazy.”
During a press conference that also took place on Jan 5, Bills quarterback Josh Allen said that while he hasn’t reached out to Higgins, he hopes that “he got some relief today.”
He also urged people not to speak ill of Higgins or attack him online.
“I saw some stuff on Twitter and people should not be attacking him whatsoever,” he said. “And I’m glad that Damar’s family came out and said that and hopefully he found some relief today because again, that’s a football play.”
Adding, “I hope that he doesn’t hold that upon himself because there’s nothing else that he could have done in that situation.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
