Damar Hamlin is ready to make his return to football.
The Bills safety is a “full go” for training camp, Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters Wednesday ahead of the team’s practice.
“We are behind him 100 percent,” McDermott said. “We’ll go at his cadence.”
Wednesday’s news marks significant progress for Hamlin since he suffered a cardiac arrest during the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Jan. 2. The then-24-year-old needed CPR, an automated external defibrillator and other treatments while on the field that night in order to keep him alive. He was in critical condition when he arrived at a local hospital that night.
It was later revealed that Hamlin went through an episode of commotio cordis when he attempted to tackle Tee Higgins early in that game. Hamlin’s condition slowly progressed in the following days as he was able to head back to Buffalo a week after the incident.
Hamlin was eventually discharged and spent much of the offseason making public appearances to spread awareness on cardiac arrests. He visited the White House and Capitol Hill to meet the president and support the Access to AEDs act. He also helped initiate a movement among NFL teams around the league to administer CPR training.
A month after his 25th birthday in March, it was announced that Hamlin was cleared to return to football and Hamlin shared his intention to return.
Two months after his April announcement to return to football, Hamlin participated in the Bills’ organized team activities and minicamp in June.
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