On Friday, Bills players were unaware that Damar Hamlin would join a team meeting via Zoom.
However, when head coach Sean McDermott told the squad that he had a “treat” in store for them, he could see the “anticipation” on their faces.
When Hamlin appeared on-screen, the players stood and began to applaud. They, too, yelled. Hamlin made heart-shaped hand signals and motions and flexed both biceps for his colleagues. McDermott stated during a press conference on Friday that somewhere in the midst of this, Hamlin told his teammates, “I love you boys.”
McDermott stated, “probably won’t be able to do it justice with words,” when asked about hearing Hamlin’s voice after the 24-year-old safety collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest during Monday’s game. “Amazing. Touching.”
McDermott stated that the Zoom call was coordinated by assistant athletic trainer Tabani Richards, who is in Cincinnati with Hamlin, and director of team administration Matt Worswick. They displayed Hamlin on a wide screen in the meeting room so that he was “larger than life” for us. In addition to the heart symbol and “flexing on them,” Hamlin also offered a thumbs-up to Bills teammates.
It is the latest in a series of pleasant occurrences for Hamlin. Overnight, the Bills announced that Hamlin’s breathing tube had been withdrawn. He gradually emerged from a medically-induced coma on Wednesday night and communicated in writing, initially inquiring about the outcome of the Cincinnati-Buffalo game. His father, Mario, communicated with the Bills on Wednesday.
McDermott stated that seeing Hamlin’s face on the television “with my own eyes” was something he had anticipated and wanted. Then, he observed the emotion that spread throughout the room throughout the brief call.
McDermott stated, “It was a pretty cool exchange for a few seconds.”
After tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on Monday night, Hamlin slumped on the field. Prior to being transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the second-year player received CPR on the field.
The Bills conclude their season against the Patriots on Sunday.
»Damar Hamlin sends a FaceTime message to the Bills«