(Reuters) – Damar Hamlin returned to action on Sunday in the Buffalo Bills’ 48-20 victory over the visiting Miami Dolphins, which marked his first regular season game since he suffered a cardiac arrest in January.
Prior to the opening kickoff, Hamlin was the last Bills player to exit the tunnel and he ran the length of the field with his arms spread and through the end zone before removing his helmet in front of a wildly cheering crowd.
Hamlin, who was a healthy scratch for the Bills’ first three games of the 2023 National Football League season, was then on the field with the kickoff return unit to open the game.
After Buffalo scored a touchdown on their opening drive, Hamlin returned to the field with the kickoff coverage unit.
Hamlin collapsed during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals moments after making a tackle and was resuscitated on the field, all in front of a packed stadium and national television audience.
He was discharged from hospital nine days after his cardiac arrest, cleared to resume football activities in April and his remarkable recovery captivated the sporting world.
Hamlin played in all three of the Bills’ preseason games in August.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
