A harrowing scene unfolded during "Monday Night Football" when Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Medical personnel administered CPR to the 24-year-old, restarting his heart, before transporting him to a local Cincinnati hospital. He currently is listed in critical condition, per an official statement released by the Bills organization on Tuesday morning.
Hamlin's medical emergency rocked the sports world, with athletes far and wide offering well wishes for the Pittsburgh native.
MORE: Bills' Stefon Diggs, others stay in Cincinnati with hospitalized Damar Hamlin
NBA stars LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell and Klay Thompson put up major stat lines in their respective games on Monday night. Still, as news of Hamlin's condition seeped its way into locker rooms, they made sure to offer support.
"The safety of players in all sports is always the most important." LeBron James on Damar Hamlin. pic.twitter.com/JUIBIUCHRF
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 3, 2023
Praying for you kid!!!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/cC3ZsnpsjR
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 3, 2023
Donovan Mitchell sent wishes to Damar Hamlin and his family on behalf of the Cavs organization after scoring a franchise-record 71 points pic.twitter.com/c5v2PzDrfR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 3, 2023
Klay Thompson began his postgame press conference last night by sending his thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 3, 2023
(via @NBCSAuthentic)pic.twitter.com/8dhrqMp5WJ
So too did future Pro Football Hall of Famers JJ Watt and Tom Brady, who delved into how Hamlin's health is the only priority in the short-term.
The game is not important.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 3, 2023
Damar Hamlin’s life is important.
Please be ok. Please.
🙏🏼
We’re praying for Damar and his family this morning in Tampa. Moments like this put into perspective what it means to play this game we love. Thankful for our communities in Cincinnati and Buffalo for the overwhelming level of care and support I know they’ll continue to provide.
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 3, 2023
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who was on the other end of the hit, also tweeted out support.
My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIsland the Hamlin Family. I’m praying that you pull through bro. Love 🙏🏾💙
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) January 3, 2023
After the game was suspended for the night, Josh Allen had a simple request.
Please pray for our brother.
— Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) January 3, 2023
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he has known Hamlin, a Pittsburgh-area native, since the player was 12, and he had reached out to his Bills counterpart Sean McDermott to offer any support he could.
Coach Tomlin shares his very personal thoughts on Damar Hamlin: pic.twitter.com/gymuijitfp
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 3, 2023
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, teammates with Hamlin at University of Pittsburgh, also tweeted support for the Bills safety.
With you every step of the way 3!! ❤️ @HamlinIsland https://t.co/V5ep99pvjT
— Kenny Pickett (@kennypickett10) January 3, 2023
Hamlin and Pickett's former college coach, Pat Narduzzi, urged fans to direct prayers to the Hamlin family.
Please keep praying, don’t stop 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/ywxI22oWDl
— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) January 3, 2023
NHL Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, who collapsed after taking a puck to the chest during a 1998 game, offered words of support for Hamlin, as well.
Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time. 🙏🏻https://t.co/u90LBw5MfO
— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) January 3, 2023
Former soccer star Fabrice Muamba, whose heart stopped beating for 70 minutes during a 2012 match, shared similar sentiments, even retweeting this Robert Griffin III tweet early Tuesday morning.
Fabrice Muamba RT'd this⬇️https://t.co/MpI6jbL60S
— Me Three (@MeThree20) January 3, 2023
Tennis pro Jessie Pegula, whose parents Terry and Kim own the Bills, shared her thoughts Tuesday.
In moments like this we are reminded of perspective. It’s just a game and in the end it does not matter after what happened tonight. My prayers go out to Damar and his family. This team is family, football is family, sports bring us together like family🙏
— Jessie Pegula (@JLPegula) January 3, 2023
Hamlin's family released a statement Tuesday in appreciation of the outpouring of support.
Announcement directly from Damar’s family: pic.twitter.com/MdzgxUmVfg
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023