Damar Hamlin is returning to the NFL.
Four months after suffering cardiac arrest during a game, the Buffalo Bills safety announced he will take the football field once more. And while sharing the news during an April 18 press conference, he also revealed the cause behind the collapse that saw him rushed to a hospital: commotio cordis.
"It's a direct blow at a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest, and five-to-seven seconds later, you fall out," Hamlin explained, per the NFL. "That's pretty much what everyone's seen Jan. 2 of this year. Commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth athletes across all sports. So that's something that I personally will be taking a step in to make a change."
As for his NFL comeback, Hamlin noted he wants to inspire others to push through setbacks, adding, "I just want to show people that fear is a choice."
"You can keep going in something without having the answers and without knowing what's at the end of the tunnel," the 25-year-old continued. "Or you might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you keep putting that right foot in front of the left one and you keep going. I want to stand for that."
He also reflected on what he's most grateful for—the chance to still see his loved ones everyday.
"I died on national TV in front of the whole world," Hamlin shared. "So, I see it from all perspectives. For them to still have me around, and for me to still have them, it goes both ways. And I lost a bunch of people in my life, and I know a bunch of people who have lost people in their lives, and I know that feeling. So that right there is just the biggest blessing of it all. For me to still have my people, and for my people to still have me."
Back in January, Hamlin suddenly fell during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals after tackling receiver Tee Higgins, resulting in Hamlin receiving more than 10 minutes of CPR on the field. Immediately following his collapse, the athlete received more than 10 minutes of CPR on the field before being transported to the hospital where he was in critical condition.
After spending time in the ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin was transported to New York's Buffalo General Hospital before being discharged to continue his recovery at home on Jan. 11.
The following month, Hamlin paid tribute to thanked the first responders who saved his life.
"Every day I am amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world," Hamlin said onstage at the 2023 NFL Honors in February. "Encourage to pray, encourage to spread love, and encourage to keep fighting no matter the circumstances. Sudden cardiac arrest was nothing I would have ever chosen to be a part of my story, but that's because sometimes our own visions are too small even when we think we are seeing the bigger picture."