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Damar Hamlin, 24, made his first public speaking appearance one month after he suffered a terrifying medical emergency on the football field. The Buffalo Bills safety won the NFL Player’s Association’s Alan Page Community Award on Feb. 8, for raising over $9 million for the Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive. Damar’s fundraises skyrocketed thanks to fan support after he nearly died during the Bills-Bengals game on Jan. 2. Damar was extremely gracious and humble in his acceptance speech, which you can watch below.
Damar Hamlin is here in Phoenix to accept the Alan Page Community Award and give his speech: pic.twitter.com/2OeUH1lBKA
— katherine fitzgerald (@kfitz134) February 8, 2023
“First and foremost, I just wanted to say thank you,” Damar began his speech. “Thank God for being here. And thank the other guys who were nominated for the award as well who did the work in their communities alongside me as well.” The NFL star explained that “giving back to my community has always been a big part of who I am.” He also gave a special shoutout to his father Mario, who was at the award ceremony to support his son. “Growing up, just watching him do community days in our community and I just always was waiting on my time when it came,” Damar said about his dad.
“One of my favorite quotes: ‘It’s a blessing to be a blessing,’ ” Damar also said. “With that being said, I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach in making a difference in the community where I come from and also communities across the world. Thank you,” he added.
Damar’s been slowly returning to public life following his near-death experience. On Jan. 31, he made his first public appearance after the cardiac arrest at a taping for The Masked Singer. He was pictured holding a football while standing next to the reality show’s host, Nick Cannon. Reports claimed that Damar only made a special appearance on the show, and isn’t a contestant.
As everyone knows, Damar collapsed during the Buffalo vs. Bengals game on Monday, Jan. 2 after he tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Damar was in “critical condition” and was immediately hospitalized. His fellow athletes and fans from around the country supported him in such a beautiful showing. Damar was released from the hospital on Jan. 9, but he waited until the end of the month to finally address the scary incident.
“What happened to me on Monday Night Football I feel is a direct example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and my love directly from my heart with the entire world,” Damar told fans on Twitter. “And I’m able to give it back to kids and communities all across the world who need it the most, and that’s always been my dream. That’s always been what I stood for and what I’ll continue to stand for.”
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