Buffalo Bills safety and former Pitt alumni Damar Hamlin was sent to the Cincinnati Hospital following his sudden collapse on the field during the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game during Monday night football. Reports say that Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after getting up from a hit to the chest during a tackle attempt on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. 

It was not until 15 minutes after his collapse and receiving CPR that Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored yet the NFL has announced that he is still in critical condition. The game was suspended for the night and an announcement has just been made that the game will not be resumed this week, but there is no confirmation as to when or if it will happen

Hamlin’s marketing representative Jordan Rooney recently released a statement saying that Hamlin’s vitals are back to normal and that he was placed in a medically induced coma.

On the brighter side of this tragic event, fans from across the world united to donate to a fundraiser Damar Hamlin created called the Chasing M Foundation Community Toy Drive, which he started after being drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. The original goal of the foundation was to raise $2,500 for toys for children in need but overnight, 125,000 people donated and raised over $4 million for the foundation. 

Thousands of fans stood outside the Cincinnati Medical Center and many of Hamlin’s teammates have gone to see him, one specifically including Stefon Diggs, the Bills wide receiver who was initially not allowed into the hospital, but then was immediately let in after saying who he was.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar Hamlin and his family.