NFL: Damar Hamlin battles nerves in Bills' win over Colts as he returns post cardiac arrest

In Buffalo Bills' preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, the former edged past the Colts23-19 victory on Saturday (August 12). The game made heads turn as itmarked the 25-year-old Damar Hamlin's first-ever appearanceafter suffering cardiac arrest -- during a regular-season face-off versusthe Cincinnati Bengals -- early this year, on January02.

After the game, Hamlin opened up on being nervous ahead of his comeback trail and claimed thathis first hittook a little weight off his shoulders.

'I really love this.I want to be one of the greats'

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Hamlin said, whose first play back was a kickoff, "When I'm feeling those nerves and I'm feeling those emotions, it just means I, it means I love, I really love this. I love this, like, I want to be here. I want to play, I want to do good. I want to be one of the greats. I want to be remembered as somebody who, you know, stood for something and who made a difference when I was out there on the field."

The comeback wasn't an easy affair for Hamlin. He claimed that he had to manage his emotions prior to the game and put in the extra yards during preparations, including extra tackling, however, he was fully focused while beingon the field and played without hesitation. "You put yourself at risk by hesitating," he opined. In addition, the youngster revealed thathewas feeling the emotions of his return during the day, but had trustworthy people around him to help his mindset and keep himself calm and composed.

Bills welcome Hamlin

With Hamlin's return, Bills took to their official account on X, earlier known as Twitter and wrote, "For the first time since last season, Damar Hamlin is out on the field."

For the first time since last season, Damar Hamlin is out on the field. 🫶#INDvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/l2dKdNh7De — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 12, 2023

'True sign of a young man's courage'

Hamlin'sreturn, which he described as "another milestone" and a "step in the right direction," has been lauded by Bills' head coach Sean McDermott, terming it"remarkable."

McDermott asserted, "It's a true sign of a young man's courage and obviously everyone who helped him get to this point. I know there was a football game going on out there today, but I mean truly remarkable display of courage and strength and faith. I had a chance to communicate with Damar a little bit last night, and he assured me he was ready to go. So, he trusts his preparation and God. I think that shows a lot about who he is."

After his comeback game,Hamlin is ready for the upcoming challenges. There is a preseason game in his hometown against the Steelers on August 19 (Saturday). As of now, he is not looking far ahead and wants to take it step-by-step. For now, hisnext milestone is,"Practice tomorrow."

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