NFL player Damar Hamlin, who collapsed from cardiac arrest during a game last month, has made a surprise appearance during Super Bowl week.
The Buffalo Bills safety showed up during the round of news conferences building up to Super Bowl 57 in Phoenix, Arizona, this Sunday.
Hamlin, 24, was one of five finalists for the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) Alan Page Community Award.
And he stunned journalists when he took to the stage to accept the accolade.
His arrival was greeted by sombre applause and he addressed reporters briefly – without taking questions – before accepting the trophy and a $100,000 (£83,000) donation.
“It’s a blessing to be a blessing,” said Hamlin at the event in Phoenix.
The player launched a foundation called Chasing M’s in 2020 to provide toys for children in need in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
The toy drive has now received nearly $9m of donations since Hamlin’s collapse in Cincinnati, Ohio, far surpassing its initial fundraising target of $25,000.
Hamlin was resuscitated on the field on 2 January and discharged from hospital after nine days.
He visited the team facility during the week before the Bills faced the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL play-offs on 22 January and at that game he made his first public appearance since his collapse.
Hamlin waved to fans from inside a stadium suite and he has posted video updates on social media. But Wednesday’s award ceremony was his first media appearance since the medical emergency.
“Giving back to my community has always been a big part of who I am,” he said while accompanied by his parents on stage. “I’m thankful to my father, who is right here behind me.
“Growing up and watching him do community days in our community, I was always waiting on my time when it came.
“With that being said, I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach to making a difference in the community where I come from and also communities across the world.”
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said: “He is not only an individual who has overcome a tremendous amount. He reminds us just how dangerous this game is, but also of the spirit, the love, the joy and the fraternity of people who play this game.”
