Former Pitt safety Hamlin in critical condition after on-field collapse

Former Pitt safety and current Buffalo Bill Damar Hamlin is in critical condition after he collapsed on the field in Cincinnati last night, the Bills announced.

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” said a tweet on the Bills’ official Twitter page. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

The play in question was a tackle Hamlin made on Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the Monday Night Football game. Hamlin tackled Higgins but Higgins’ helmet appeared to make contact with Hamlin’s chest.

Hamlin got up after making the tackle but almost immediately collapsed. Reports from the game indicated that emergency medical personnel were administering CPR on the field, and Hamlin was taken off the field by ambulance.

The game was suspended after the ambulance left the field and both teams went to the locker rooms before the NFL ultimately decided to postpone the game. The Bengals led the Bills 7-3.

Hamlin, a Pittsburgh native and four-star defensive back prospect at Central Catholic, was the face of Pat Narduzzi’s first recruiting class when he committed shortly before Signing Day in February 2016. He played in three games as a freshman and nine as a sophomore - four of which were starts - before starting all 26 games he played in 2018 and 2019.

Hamlin then petitioned the NCAA for a retroactively-applied redshirt for his freshman season, which allowed him to return in 2020, and he finished his career with a performance that put him on the ACC’s all-conference second team.

The Bills selected Hamlin with their sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (No. 212 overall). He played in all 17 games last season and recorded two tackles, but this year he became a prominent piece of the Bills’ secondary, moving into the starting lineup in Week Three and starting every game since then. After 16 games, Hamlin is tied for second on the team in tackles with 91 and has also recorded 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.