If anyone exemplified a spirit of resilience during the 2022 season, it was Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and on Monday, the Professional Football Writers of America announced that Hamlin was the winner of the 2023 George Halas Award. The honor is bestowed upon a member of the NFL who ‘overcomes the most adversity to succeed.’
Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was resuscitated and taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center in an ambulance as his teammates and opponents watched filled with emotion.
Last month, Hamlin was cleared to participate in full football activity and he announced his plan to return to the NFL.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been on a journey, and I’ve seen some of the top professionals across the country,’ he said. ‘And their answers to me were all the same. This event was lifechanging, but it’s not the end of my story.’
He is the second member of Buffalo to win the award, following Kevin Everett, who was the recipient in 2008. Everett suffered a life-threatening spinal injury in the 2007 season opener. After intensive treatment and because of his own determination, the tight end was walking within a month.