By Jeremy Katz, Montclair State University

Damar Hamlin has a story that most of the world has heard and admired. Making it into the NFL is no easy job, yet overcoming how Damar went into cardiac arrest on the field and still returned to play in the NFL seemed impossible.
However, Damar continues week by week to show the world that he will always continue to do the impossible no matter the odds.
Damar Hamlin’s Journey to the NFL
Damar’s passion for football started early. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Damar’s love passion for football started when he was young, propelling him to play football at the University of Pittsburgh (known as Pitt for short).
Walking into college, Damar impressed (who) over four years of play, and yet the odds still looked stacked against him as he entered the NFL draft. After falling a couple of rounds in the 2021 NFL Draft, Damar was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round, allowing him to stay close to home, family, and friends.
The Opportunity That Changed Everything for Damar Hamlin
Damar found a home in Buffalo and became a member of one of the best football teams in the country in recent years. Extensively training and waiting for his chance to come off the bench and play,
Damar found that moment when one of his teammates, Micah Hyde, got injured during a game in September 2022 and Damar’s number was called.
Damar proved his worth during this game, which led to him receiving more snap opportunities in the following games after his teammate was sidelined for the season. This allowed him to become the valued and respected member of the team that he always knew he could be. This resulted in the starting role for the remainder of the 2022 season.
A Frightening Moment That Stunned the World
Heading into 2023, Damar was at the highlight of his life, gearing up for the playoffs just a couple of weeks down the road. However, Damar’s life and name were forever changed on January 3, 2023, during a week 17 game.
The Bills played against the Bengals when a routine tackle led to Damar falling to the ground and going into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to a hospital in Cincinnati and the game was postponed, never to be finished in light of Damar’s injury.
Damar was in critical condition and remained on a ventilator for three days. The world poured out their love and support for Damar, with football fans and non-fans stunned by the injury, as nothing in the history of football had ever come close to this. Four days after the game event, Damar miraculously woke up with his famous first words being “Did we win?”.
After overcoming the possibility of death, Damar was still looking to focus on the success of his team and every one of his teammates and coaching staff.
Making an Awe-Inspiring Road to an Astonishing Recovery
Damar made it his mission to fully recover and return to the game that has driven him his entire life. That would be proven to be no easy feat, as Damar’s on-field incident led to off-field trauma that Damar would have to overcome more than any physical aspect of the injury.
By setting goals for himself, the biggest one being to step back onto the football field, Damar committed to the belief that nothing is impossible in this world. By keeping his friends and family close, Damar allowed his support system to stay close, taking any and all encouragement on this incredible journey of his.
Damar Hamlin’s Return to the NFL
Damar looked at the road and decided to own it, making his miraculous return to football during the 2023 regular season on October 1. Defying every odd put in front of him, Damar confirmed all of his capabilities and was granted a starting role in the 2024 season.
On September 23, 2024, Damar recorded his first-ever interception in his NFL career, showing that his story, while shocking and eventful, is only just beginning.
Inspiring Lessons to Embrace from Damar Hamlin
There is so much to be learned about Damar’s story, which stems from overcoming adversity and defying the odds in front of us. Within this are lessons about what to do when facing setbacks and Damar laid out an incredible blueprint. Instead of accepting defeat in the tough situations we may find ourselves in, we can look to be like Damar and use his resilience as inspiration to continuously update and push towards our goals; to make them attainable or achievable.
Just as Damar went through intensive rehabilitation and stayed close to his support system, we can challenge ourselves to stay true to ourselves while also working on creating the best version of ourselves.
We strive to be by leaning on our surroundings for positive affirmation. By creating mental resilience against tribulation, and setting goals, anyone can overcome those challenges in life, in academics, and in careers remembering to always strive towards that ultimate dream. With a story like Damar Hamlin’s to keep close, remember impossible is just a word.
Write on Sports (WoS) is a non-profit literacy organization that helps middle school students develop writing and reading skills. The program uses project-based learning, empowering students to self-select a topic of interest and authentic learning experiences which include a field trip, to strengthen writing skills. Write on Sports offers after-school writing programs and workshops in addition to summer writing camps. During the summer, Write on Sports will be hosting summer camps in multiple New Jersey counties in addition to camps in California, Colorado, Indiana, and Rhode Island. To read students’ work from the camps, click here.
Sources:
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/damar-hamlin-opens-remarkable-recovery-new-interview/story?id=97029951