DETROIT (WWJ) - Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a horrifying collapse due to cardiac arrest on "Monday Night Football" against the Bengals, causing the NFL to postpone the game as reaction from around the nation came pouring in.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell joined 97.1 the Ticket's Mike "Stoney" Stone and Jon Jansen with his thoughts on the incident which unfolded on live TV to the shock of players, coaches and fans across the league.
"Injuries happen, you know, and you learn to move on, but I can only imagine being out there and that's one of your brothers and you realize things get real in a hurry," Campbell told Stone. "You're trying to get him back and that'll shake you, man."
The play occurred with just under six minutes remaining in the opening quarter of the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals matchup around after Hamlin, 24, made an open-field tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Shortly after standing from the tackle he just made, the 24-year-old collpased on the field, prompting the attention of medical personnel and professionals from the Bills and Bengals.
A stretcher and ambulance were called onto the field to tend to Hamlin, as medical personnel and professionals from the Bills and others on-hand helped administer CPR and an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to Hamlin.
After several minutes, Hamlin was placed in the ambulance and transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma care center, where he was reportedly intubated and listed in critical condition.
Campbell echoed the sentiments from broadcasters and other players, by calling the emergency "something totally different" that what is usually seen when players go down on the field.
"That's when reality hits like, well, this is not the norm," Campbell added. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his family, everybody involved, the whole Buffalo Bills, family and everybody that was out there in that moment."
Several hours after Hamlin was taken to the hopsital, the Bills released a statement regarding its second-year player:
"Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. 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."
Campbell acknowledged the risks are always there, but understanding the risks and then being faced with them are two different things.
"We all sign up for it, you know, but also understanding that at some point, man that it goes beyond that and that's the scary side of it," he added. "You really don't want to even think about it, I sure as heck never did. I think if you start thinking too much into it, you'll never want to play this game."
More than an hour after the medical emergency took place, the decision was made by the NFL to suspend the rest of the game. During that time, members of both teams were visibly shocked and upset, eventually leaving the field for their respective Locker rooms.
The Lions head coach emphasized that situations like Hamlin's should be discussed as the situation affects more than just the player.
"There's a real human being and those are his brothers out there," Campbell said. "That's something that just won't ever leave you... it's tough. It's tough to see. It'd be tough for our players to see."
In 29 career games with the Bills, Hamlin has registered 93 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. Due to an injury to safety Micah Hyde earlier in the year, Hamlin was the primary guy filling in for the veteran, who is slated to miss the rest of the 2022 season.