(WGR 550) - Monday night's showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was touted by some as the "Game of the Season" before kickoff with major playoff implications on the line in the AFC standings.
However, the game quickly became an afterthought after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during the first quarter of play.
The 24-year-old made a tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on the second play of a drive with less than six minutes remaining in the quarter. After getting up from making, what seemed like, a routine tackle, Hamlin quickly collapsed to the turf and eventually needed to be administered CPR.
Hamlin was eventually taken off the field via ambulance, where he was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma care center. According to a statement released by the NFL, Hamlin is listed in critical condition.
The game was eventually suspended for the rest of the night, with no further update on when the game will be made up.
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As Bills fans and others around the sports world await any health update on the second-year safety, in typical Buffalo fashion, many were encouraged to support Hamlin by donating money to his charity page, "The Chasing M's Foundations Community Toy Drive".
The GoFundMe page that was established by Hamlin back in December originally had a fundraising goal of $2,500 to "go towards the purchase of toys for kids in need."
Once Bills fans and other fanbases around the NFL got wind of this page, they donated in droves, contributing anywhere from $5 to some contributing hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.
Just before midnight, more than $1.1 million had been donated to Hamlin's charity page. Less than an hour later, that donation total surpassed the $2 million mark. And at around 1:45 a.m. EST, the page had received more than $3 million from more than 117,200 donations.
"As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me," wrote Hamlin on his GoFundMe page. "I created The Chasing M's Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive.
"This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 100% of the funds raised will go toward the purchase of toys for kids in need...
"If you are not able to contribute monetarily, you can support this initiative in other ways. We are accepting donated toys at the Daycare Center or simply spread the word by sharing this fundraiser on your social channels.
"Thank you so much for supporting me on and off the field. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with you to help make the holiday season a little brighter for the kids in our community."
Hamlin was a sixth-round pick (212th overall) of the Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. He has appeared in 29 career games with the Bills, starting 13 games this season - filling in for the injured Micah Hyde - registering 93 career tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks.
You can make a donation to Hamlin's page by visiting the link here:
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