On Thursday night, Damar Hamlin took the stage at the Center for the Arts at the University of Buffalo as part of UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series.
Alongside Dr. Leslie Bisson – team physician of the Buffalo Bills and June A. and Eugene R. Mindell, MD Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at UB – Hamlin discussed his journey from growing up to joining the NFL, to his cardiac arrest and his return. In front of a welcoming crowd, it was a full-circle moment for Hamlin.
Earlier that day, the safety officially signed a one-year contract extension with the Bills, keeping him in Buffalo for another season.
“It feels amazing to be back,” Hamlin said earlier Thursday in Orchard Park. “This is home. This is all I know as a pro. I’m connected to this place on a totally different level, so this is the place I want to be. This is where I would want to spend my whole career if I can.”
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Bills safety Damar Hamlin listens to the national anthem prior to playing the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 8. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Hamlin was set to become an unrestricted free agent, and he said Thursday that he did have “a lot of interest” around the NFL. Hamlin said it was “pretty cool” to hear from other teams during the process.
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“I was just appreciative of everything, regardless of if it worked out or not,” Hamlin said. “So, there was a lot of interest from a few teams, which I was greatly appreciative of.”
Still, something about Buffalo called to him.
“Ultimately coming back here and staying where I’m comfortable – I know the system, I’ve been here. I can be a leader on this team, and we have the chance to win,” Hamlin said. “I think that’s my biggest thing, why I’m still playing, and why I want to be here is I want to win, and I’m a winner. You know, playing this game and not winning games makes this game 1,000 times harder, which is already hard within itself. So, that’s a big part of coming back as well.”
There will be competition at safety this season. Veteran Taylor Rapp and 2024-draft pick Cole Bishop are returning alongside Hamlin. The Bills also added safety Darrick Forrest through the free agency. Forrest was in the facility on Thursday, as well, to sign a one-year contract. Though it was a brief interaction, Hamlin did get to talk to Forrest in the building on Thursday.
“We didn’t get to chop it up too much. I definitely got to see him got to tell him welcome,” Hamlin said. “I’ve known him for a little bit. I’m excited to push everybody in the room for greatness, demand the best out of everybody, no matter what, because, ultimately, that will get the best out of our team and get us where we want to go.”
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Hamlin played 14 games for the Bills last season, earning a starting safety role from Week 1 in the latest chapter of his remarkable story.
Hamlin feels ready for the competition, and he feels he still has room to grow and improve. While he’s proud of what he accomplished last season as a full-time starter for the Bills, he recognizes it was a unique year.
“Last year, I feel like I was getting the training wheels off of myself, in a way,” Hamlin said. “Just coming back from literally dying on the field to playing again in a significant role, a starting role, playing a full season again for the first time, just feeling myself out.
“I feel like it was a year of that, and I feel like I had a lot of success on the field. So, to see where I can take it from, knowing that’s where I was within myself, to just growing into another year and being able to see what I did and develop myself into what I want to become this upcoming year, I’m excited for that journey.”
While he feels he kept things in good perspective before, Hamlin’s cardiac arrest and recovery certainly influenced how he sees the world around him.
“Just having everything snatched away from you and not knowing what the future holds definitely made me, like, ‘No matter what goes on, a couple deep breaths and a call with my mom and my dad will cure the world for me,’ ” he said.
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Hamlin said his parents, Mario and Nina, were “stressed out” as he heard from different teams, but simply because they wanted the best for their son.
“They walked this whole journey down with me from start to finish,” Hamlin said. “I owe them everything in my life, for real.”
While his parents would never expect anything in return, Hamlin is finding ways to pay them back. Last year, he told them he was going to build a new house for the family back in the Pittsburgh area.
“A couple days ago, I got to see them laying the foundation to our new home,” Hamlin said. “It’s an accumulation of them putting in the sacrifice for me at a young age and reaping the benefits of it. Life’s good for the Hamlin family, I’m not going to lie.”
And back in Buffalo with the Bills, life is good for Hamlin, too.
“This is the place to thrive and become whatever you want to become,” Hamlin said.
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