‘I’ve known that guy since he was about 12.’: Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin meets with reporters after an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. The Bills won 38-3.
The NFL world was shaken to its core on Monday night following Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was no exception.
Addressing assembled media on Tuesday morning, the long-time Pittsburgh head coach expressed his emotions seeing a player and person he has known for nearly 12 years in such a dire situation.
“Before I open up for questions, I’ll say this about Damar Hamlin,” Tomlin said. “It’s a really personal thing for me, being a Pittsburgher, that young man being a Pittsburgher, I’ve known that guy since he was about 12.”
“I’ve just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams, which is what he’s doing right now: playing in the NFL. To watch him make personal decisions and make it a realization, it’s just an honor to get to know young people like that. I’ve had the opportunity to express that to him.”
According to the Bills, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in Monday’s contest at the Cincinnati Bengals, making what appeared to be a routine tackle on Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins, first standing up then falling forward. Medical personnel provided both CPR and an AED to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat on the field, after which an ambulance took Hamlin and his mother to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The 24-year-old second-year safety is currently in critical condition at the hospital.
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. He attended Central Catholic High School before choosing the University of Pittsburgh over Ohio State and Penn State, where the Panthers shared a practice facility with Tomlin and the Steelers. After a standout five-year career for Pitt, the Bills selected Hamlin in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
This year, Hamlin has filled in for the injured starting Buffalo safety Micah Hyde, starting 14 games and recording 91.5 tackles.
“It’s just cool to not only to appreciate these guys where they are now, but to know them since they were younger people, to watch their maturation, their development, to watch them earn what they’ve been chasing. It’s just a cool thing.”
“I’ve got a lot of love for that young man, and we’re lifting him and that organization up in prayer. I’ve reached out to [Buffalo Bills head coach] Sean McDermott to lend any assistance I could.”
“As people that thrive in this space, that’s not something you ever want to see.”
