26 February 2024 , 07:00
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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has revealed his dream to end his career where it all started for him - in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old collapsed after tackling Tee Higgins during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023. He had a cardiac arrest and doctors rushed to restore his heartbeat on the field. Hamlin, incredibly, bounced back, returning to play for the Bills within the same year.
By August, he was back on the field playing his first game since the frightening incident, in a pre-season match against the Las Vegas Raiders. He then bravely returned to action against the Miami Dolphins, making five regular appearances and two post-season outings in one of the most touching sports stories of the past year.
Hamlin was named Comeback Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America after the 2023 season. Now, the determined player has shared his long-term goals, which include going back to his home city to finish his career.
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Showing his love for home, he uncovered dreams of potentially playing for his local team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. At an event hosted by Steel City Collectables, he divulged: "I think ending my career, finishing, as a Pittsburgh Steeler would be a dream.
"I played at Pitt so you know I was in the stadium. I played at Heinz Field probably for like eight years straight between WPIAL championships and Pitt so a dream come true would be finishing my career as a Steeler."
Hamlin first became a well known name as a player at the University of Pittsburgh. He was eventually snapped up by Buffalo in the 2021 NFL Draft. Earlier, he discussed his outlook after a health scare in 2023, and how it shapes his view now.
"To give everybody some more perspective, I would just say, trust what you know and trust what got you here," he highlighted. "Along the journey of the ups and downs, I had my own, he had his own, and we were able to keep each other, hold each other accountable to what got us there in the moment."
Damar Hamlin has reflected on the life-affirming experiences of the past year (Getty)Hamlin added: "I'm trying to take care of all opportunities that I can. I'm trying to capitalize on all business opportunities. I want to make sure I'm setting myself up for the future."
He shared a touching moment when he visited the place where he had his cardiac arrest in Cincinnati. He went there with the Bills to see their game against the Bengals in November. He even knelt down where he had the heart attack and later wrote on social media: "Tonight was everything for me.. y'all don't know the half of it. Trust me."
When he talked about playing again, he said it felt special to put on his football boots. He gave a deep answer when asked about returning. He admitted: "What happened to me, it was [so] random, and it was any moment but that feeling, you know, it'll never go away."