Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Pro Football Writers of America announced Monday that Bills safety Damar Hamlin was named the George Halas Award winner in 2023.
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This award is given yearly to the player, coach or staff member who overcame the most adversity to succeed in football.
Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a Week 17 matchup for the Bills in Cincinnati this past season against the Bengals on "Monday Night Football". This after making, what appeared to be, a routine tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of action at Paycor Stadium.
After requiring CPR and the use of an AED on the field to restore his heartbeat, Hamlin spent a week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he made remarkable progress in his recovery. After a week in Cincinnati, Hamlin was able to be transported back to Buffalo General Hospital, where he was released a short time later.
During the opening session of offseason workouts this past April, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Hamlin had been cleared to return to full football activities. Hamlin later told reporters that same day he plans to play in the 2023 NFL season.
During Super Bowl week in Arizona, Hamlin was also named the 2023 winner of the NFL Players' Association's Alan Page Community Service Award, as voted on by the players. Hamlin's "Chasing M's Foundation", including a Toy Drive he started while in college playing at the University of Pittsburgh, was able to raise millions of dollars through donations that poured in from around the world in the immediate response to his cardiac arrest.
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