Thoughts in support of Damar Hamlin

I don’t know Damar Hamlin.

Before Monday night, I doubt I could have even placed the name.

Now, I know a bit more. I know he is a second year safety for the Buffalo Bills, who has seen significant playing time filling in for once-Packer Micah Hyde. I know that he decided to go to his hometown school, the University of Pittsburgh, over the likes of Ohio State and Penn State after being a highly touted high school recruit. After starting there for three years, he went in the sixth round of the NFL draft. I know he remains engaged in the Pittsburgh community, raising money to support local causes and putting himself out there as a potential positive role model for kids in the area.

I know a lot more about Damar Hamlin than I did two days ago. But these are all just the superficial details, the sports statistics and accolades and public images that the various news sources scrambled to put together as they tried to build a picture of the man whose life hung in the balance after the events of Monday night’s NFL game. The closest thing I got to seeing something deeper was a short two minute video I found on Twitter where he talked about his work on a toy drive in Pittsburgh.

I still don’t know him. And yet, as I tried to push through another busy Tuesday, my thoughts could not help but turn to Hamlin and those close to him, those that actually know him. Hopes and prayers and well wishes, donations to his charities and voicing support for his well-being, it was all those who don’t know Hamlin could do.

On one hand, it feels like horribly little. It is a situation in which it could be very easy to become cynical. To point out the potential fruitlessness of such action, a chance to question the nature of the sport and give out fault to whichever entity best fits a narrative one might look to push. To simply be apathetic towards the ordeal, because after all, you likely don’t know Damar Hamlin.

But on the other hand, despite the horrible situation, the response has been largely anything but. There has been an outpouring of kindness and love in whatever ways, big or small, people from across the country can give in support of Hamlin and his close friends and family. A unified front of human beings supporting one of their own, without thought of the typical barriers that might divide us. Despite it being for a complete stranger, so many offered help in whatever ways they could. It was made so much larger than the game that brought it to many people’s attention, as it should have.

It is a sight that, given a different backdrop, would be quite inspirational. Given the situation as it is, I can only hope that it in some way helps Hamlin and those closest to him.

A C ertain Point of V iew