Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is back on the gridiron six months after collapsing in-game against Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 of last season.
The 25-year-old joined his teammates in a padded training in Pittsford, which he described as "another milestone on the journey - might be one of the biggest ones."
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Hamlin had one foot in the grave after collapsing in the January game. Doctors said he suffered an episode of commotio cordis, a rare condition related to the cardio, and is 97 percent fatal.
He admitted that returning to the game scared him, but he kept his faith and let it grow stronger than his fear.
First physical play
American football is physical, and after his ordeal, it is natural to feel scared to get into intense physical contact again.
Hamlin set aside that fear, and when he collided with tight end Quintin Morris, he felt gratefulness.
"That first little moment of contact, that was just letting me know. I felt alive, man. I felt like I'm here," Hamlin said.
"So it felt good. It was just that moment of: 'All right, let's settle in and let's just take one play at a time. Let's just keep going.'"
His story has also inspired teammates.
Stefon Diggs can't help but marvel at how Hamlin returned from the jaws of literal death.
"It's easy to come in and say, 'OK, he's back on the football field,' but to see him everyday living, breathing, laughing, and having a good time is really where you have your eye opening, like, God is good. It's not so much on the football end, I'm more so appreciating the person," he said.
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