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The Buffalo Bills and their fans planned several tributes to safety Damar Hamlin for the team’s game Sunday – No. 3 jerseys, homemade T-shirts and even a 10-foot wide get-well card.
There is no script for what happens after the Bills actually return to action.
In the first play since Friday’s horror scene, when Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game in Cincinnati, Bills running back Nyheim Hines ran the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
The emotional, uplifting score was an early highlight for a cathartic day in Buffalo. A weeklong outpouring of support continued as the Bills returned to the field for the first time since Hamlin had to be resuscitated after making an interception during the first quarter in Cincinnati. Hamlin has made what doctors call a remarkable recovery.
Although he was still listed in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center as of Saturday, Hamlin’s neurological function has been considered excellent, and he is breathing fully while also able to speak.
“OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!,” Hamlin tweeted after Hines’ touchdown. He also shared a photo of himself making a heart with his hands from his hospital bed shortly before kickoff with the caption “GAMETIME!!! @BuffaloBills.”
Fans came to the Buffalo game ready to celebrate Hamlin’s recovery. That includes sign shop owner Ryan Magnuson, who designed a four-by-10-foot canvas card, which he erected at the foot of the Bills’ stadium entrance for all to see — and sign.
“It’s been really positive. I’ve seen Bills fans, I’ve seen Patriots fans and people wearing other NFL jerseys come. I think it’s bigger than the team at this point,” Magnuson said. “This is for Damar.”
WATCH | Hamlin sighed to himself, speaking to his friends:
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is once again breathing on his own and even talking to friends, after suffering a heart attack earlier this week during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals football team.
Magnuson’s goal was to get the big card sent to Hamlin.
Fans filled the front of the sign with congratulations about three hours before kickoff, offering messages such as “Stay Strong” and “Love”. Someone wears jersey number 3, which is Hamlin’s number.
“Watching it live, it’s sad to see,” said Kyle Blaney, wearing a Patriots jersey. “But it’s good to see everyone come together to support him, not just Bills fans.”
The full pre-game ceremony began with the Bills medical and athletic training staff being introduced on the field to a standing ovation. The Bills entered the stadium with many players carrying flags that read “Pray for Damar 3.” Fans held cardboard cutouts of No. 3 and red hearts.
Former Bills running back LeSean McCoy led the pregame charge by asking fans to hold up three fingers while chanting “Come on Buffalo!”
Hines added another TD return in the third quarter, this one a 101-yard burst for a 21-17 lead. There were only four kickoffs returned for touchdowns across the NFL all season before Hines’ pair. This is the 11th time one player has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game, and the first time since Seattle’s Leon Washington did it against San Diego in 2010.
NFL fans everywhere have come out in support of Hamlin this week, including many who have donated more than $8 million to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation. Sunday brings an opportunity to pay taxes together in the final week of the NFL season.
The buzzing electronic signs in the Highmark Stadium parking lot all bear the message “Love for Damar 3.” Some fans decorated their homes in Bills blue and red with various tributes to Hamlin.
Players from both teams took to the field for warmups wearing jerseys honoring Hamlin. Many Patriots players wore black shirts with “Love for Damar” written on the front. Several Bills players wore T-shirts with Hamlin on the front and back.
The NFL paid tribute to the player during the entire week of 18 games, which began on Friday, including the pre-game moment of support and painting Hamlin’s No. 3 on the 30-meter line. The Bills will also wear the “3” jersey patch.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled to attend the Bills game. Also present was New York Governor Kathy Hochul. He wore Hamlin’s number on his Bills jacket and tweeted a picture from the stadium where he and several fans held up the three fingers. The message says .LoveForDamar.
Hamlin was celebrated by fans in Cincinnati, where the Bengals were hosting Baltimore.
“It’s great that Damar is OK,” said David Coning, outside the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium. “We’ve seen pictures of him. He’s smiling. He’s been texting. So, I think it’s very good for everybody. So hopefully we can get back to normal.”
In the vast parking lot surrounding the Bills’ stadium, many fans wore shirts and T-shirts they made themselves in honor of Hamlin.
Sue Sonner wore former Bills player EJ Manuel’s No. 3 jersey, which her husband secured through the player’s name with Hamlin.
WATCH l Sight of Hamlin collapse updates questions about game safety:
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the players began to applaud when they saw Damar Hamlin participate in Friday’s team meeting by video. Hamlin is recovering in Cincinnati after suffering a heart attack during a game against the Bengals.
“It will be very emotional. I took some tissues with me for sure,” said Sonner, who is from Corning, NY, and attended the game in Cincinnati.
“We can see scurry and trauma and panic and all that. So very sombre, very sombre environment,” he said. “Now he’s progressed and we think he’ll be okay, now we’re happy to play football again. And I hope he recovers.”
Ken Johnson, who is nicknamed “Pinto Ron” and among the most famous Bills tailgaters, does not have anything special planned for Sunday, while he said he expected many to attend spontaneously in Hamlin’s honor.
“You never know how many people are going to climb on top of a van and start giving an emotional speech or something,” said Johnson, who hasn’t missed a Bills game at home or on the road since the start of the 1994 season. are not allowed to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“It just cements the Bills Mafia legacy,” Johnson said of the fans’ support.
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