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NFL and Bills hero Damar Hamlin aspires to be 'the example I never had' away from football
After the Bills' Week 2 win over the Titans, Damar Hamlin offered an important bit of perspective when asked about seeing teammate Dane Jackson taken off on a stretcher.
'Life is bigger than football,' he said.
Monday night, it was Hamlin who was forced off the field with a cardiac arrest, as the safety was given CPR, taken away in an ambulance and later listed as in critical condition by the NFL after tackling the Bengals' Tee Higgins.
Damar Hamlin pictured alongside his mom, Nina, before the Bills played the Browns in an NFL game on November 20 - Hamlin has spoken of how close he is to his family
Hamlin, pictured as a young football player, has become the NFL's ultimate role model
Hamlin, No 3, collapsed playing for the Bills Monday Night, moments after making a tackle and his team later confirmed that the 24-year-old had a cardiac arrest
Hamlin's family was watching his game vs. the Bengals, and came down to the field to be with him as he was taken into the ambulance.
Back on November 20, Hamlin was captured greeting his family before Buffalo's win over Cleveland, hugging his mom Nina reportedly for the second time in that pregame.
The heartwarming video is representative of his commitment to family.
Born when his mother was just 16-years-old, Hamlin has said he's 'extremely close' to his family and it played a role in his decision to stay close to home in college.
'I've got a baby brother [Damir Hamlin], he's six years old right now and that was the biggest reason probably why I chose Pitt,' he told News 4 Buffalo after he was drafted by the Bills two years ago.
'Just staying close to my family and then having my little brother around so I could be a role model for him and just show him examples of life that I've never really had,' Hamlin said.
Hamlin has spoken of being 'an example I never had' to his kid brother Damir (pictured)
Hamlin is known for his community work and has started a toy foundation that delivers gifts for disadvantaged children - here, he is pictured working for the scheme in December 2020
Hamlin pictured alongside his parents in a throwback Instagram post shared by the Bills player
That mission of being a role model extended past his family as well.
Before Hamlin was a 24-year-old, second-year safety for Buffalo with 30 games under his belts, he showed a commitment to charity in his local community.
A video emerged Monday night of Hamlin participating in a toy drive for children during his time at Pitt, in which the budding player spoke up about his reasons for giving back.
'Just seeing role models in person. I feel like that's big in kids' lives and that's something that we haven't always had in Pittsburgh,' he said.
'Just being younger and seeing the difference from some people that had that role models in their life.
'It could be you all you have to do is just work hard, stay focused. I'm thankful that I can even be in this position to give back.'
Hamlin also created 'The Chasing M's Foundation' to 'positively impact the community that raised me,' with the charity's first program a toy drive for the holidays in December 2020.
He explained his motivation for giving back on the toy drive's GoFundMe page, with his third annual toy drive being held last week.
'As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,' he said.
Hamlin pictured alongside mother Nina during his playing days as a kid - he said he chose to stay close to home when going to college so he could be near his family
The 24-year-old Hamlin (right) earns a salary of $825,000 playing for the Buffalo Bills
'This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
'Thank you so much for supporting me on and off the field. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with you to help make the holiday season a little brighter for the kids in our community.'
Initially set for a goal of $2,500, the page was flooded with donations on Monday after news of his serious injury, with the page having $2.6million in donations at the time of writing.
That's nearly double Hamlin's base salary of $825,000 for this season.
A quick scan of the page shows well wishes from fans of the 49ers, Cowboys, Eagles, Chiefs, Dolphins, Giants and more.
Fans waited outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center through the night after Monday's game, waiting for good news on Hamlin's condition
'Damar has consistently been the type of man that has made me proud to be a Pitt Alumn. This is the least I could do during this difficult time,' one person said.
Hamlin's friend and marketing rep Jordon Rooney said on Twitter that the players' 'vitals are back to normal,' while his agent Ira Turner told NFL Network there was 'no updates at this.'
The Bills will pray that their teammate is OK.
And the Pittsburgh community will hope for a beloved community figure to pull through.