Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins shared an emotional message about athlete vulnerability after teammate Dummer Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest Monday night.
Dawkins, 28, urged reporters to stop pretending to be a “superstar” and treat players as “humans”. “We’re not athletes, we’re not superstars, we’re not celebrities, nothing.
“We are humans at this point,” Dawkins continued.
For now, Dawkins is focused on “our brotherhood” in the NFL, with his team’s only concern being “to come together in nothing but a positive atmosphere, a positive spirit and positive prayers.” said.
The Bills player explained that the NFL community is “all learning how to deal with this”, adding that “this situation” is unprecedented in the league. not.”
As the media session continued, Dawkins shared what he had learned from the events so far. “By entertaining the whole world, we bet our bodies, minds and entire careers on every play.”
Dawkins elaborated on what the players have sacrificed physically and mentally in the league and urged fans to think twice before harshly criticizing athletes. But now there is someone who is also fighting for his life.
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Moving forward, Dawkins hopes Hamlin’s horrific injury will “shock” people who are “quick to say something bad about the athlete” while watching a game online.
“We are all human and trying to do the best we can,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are human, we have families, we care, we cry, we are vulnerable. We all have emotions and feel the same pain that normal people feel.”
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As of Wednesday morning, Hamlin was showing signs of a “promising” recovery, according to a close friend of the athlete who told ESPN.
Hamlin’s friend and business partner, Jordon Rooney, 24, said the safety of the Buffalo Bills remained sedated at the hospital as of Wednesday morning, but doctors in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said: “We’ve seen encouraging readings,” he said.
Hamlin’s agent Ron Butler also told ESPN on Tuesday night that his client’s oxygen levels had improved.
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Hamlin collapsed on the field early in the first quarter on Monday night when he tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. He jumped out quickly after the tackle before suddenly collapsing to the ground. Medical personnel administered Hamlin his CPR, and he appeared to be given oxygen as he was loaded into the ambulance.
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound player was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, two miles from the stadium, ESPN reported.
