Football is one of the most dangerous sports out there. Injuries occur in football all the time and there are so many precautions that NFL teams take to make sure that their players stay healthy and safe on the field. There is a constant risk of injury, especially for one player for the Buffalo Bills, Damar Hamlin.
In a recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Damar Hamlin collided with Tee Higgins on an attempted tackle. At first, no one thought anything of it, but when Damar stood up from the play, he quickly went right back down to the turf. After urgent medical attention, it was stated that Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after standing up from the tackle. His heartbeat was restored on the field and as soon as he was stable they rushed him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further treatment. (Mather) Over the course of the week, Damar was making big strides in his recovery. He began to awaken and he was able to communicate using writing but still nothing verbally. The next day, the doctors removed his medical tube and Damar could speak for the first time since he fell to the ground on the field. He was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center so they could transport him home and he could finish his treatment in his home city in Buffalo.
The doctors said that Damar Hamlin’s neurological function is still intact but there are more challenges that he will face. Damar’s heart stopped twice, one time was on the field when he collapsed and the other was at the hospital. The doctors also stated that Damar had some lung damage after the incident and he needed a ventilator at the hospital to keep his breathing stable. Damar is now breathing completely on his own and was able to speak to his team and family again. (Gualtieri)
I think that this situation was just bad luck. In a contact sport like football, injuries are bound to happen. I think that situations like this could be the beginning of new strides toward safer ways of playing sports. Gear such as pads and helmets are being improved every day, but major injuries like this could result in new ideas for better equipment and safer ways of playing sports.