Damar Hamlin moved to tears by standing ovation at the ESPYs

The training staff of the Buffalo Bills received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2023 ESPY Awards. The man who introduced was, naturally, the person whose life they saved one horrifying night in January.

Damar Hamlin narrated a video tribute to the staff, then received a standing ovation from the crowd at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as he welcomed the staff onto the stage. Once again, Hamlin and the trainers emotionally embraced.

Bills head athletic trainer Nate Breske proceeded to give a speech, which included one call-out to Hamlin: "Thanks for staying alive, brother."

It has been only six months since Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a span of time which has seen Hamlin recover enough to be a full participant in Bills OTAs last month.

The Bills training staff has seen a number of honors and recognitions beyond the ESPYs, with the most unusual being trainer Denny Kellington, who performed the life-saving CPS on Hamlin, receiving a fifth-place NFL MVP vote from Suzy Kolber, who then worked for ESPN. Later, Kellington said, "I am not a hero. But I will tell you what I was that day: I was ready."

The incident has also seen Hamlin visit the White House to advocate for defibrillators in schools as part of a larger campaign for more CPR training, to prevent the worst should a younger player experience his situation.