CNN
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Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins remembered the moment he realized something was “really, really wrong” after teammate Dumar Hamlin went down on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals. I was.
Hamlin is hospitalized and in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest at Monday’s game. His uncle, Dorian Glenn, told CNN that Hamlin was resuscitated twice on the field and in hospital and is still sedated.
The match was then postponed and players from both teams were visibly distraught.
“I look around and I see the medical staff doing their job. Even if it’s just something like someone falling down, they’re up and they’re all moving at a good pace,” Dawkins said on Tuesday. told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer…
“But when something like this is happening, they are waving so fast, calling people in the field, calling for elite medical staff. I really realize that I’m wrong.
“This was one of the first experiences for me that something like this happened in this kind of way, silencing the entire stadium that was in an uproar before half play.”
Live update: NFL star Damar Hamlin critically ill after cardiac arrest
According to Glenn, Hamlin uses a ventilator to take the strain off his damaged lungs after a cardiac arrest. He said his nephew’s condition was “on a positive upward trend” while he was being treated at the hospital.
For Dawkins, who is in his sixth season with the Bills, the severity of the situation quickly turned to prayer.
“Whether you’re a believer or not, only a higher power can really control what’s next,” he said.
“Those of us who helped also helped that higher power. But at that moment, you just need to be defenseless, raise your prayers and let the magic work.”
On Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the game between the Bills and Bengals will not resume this week, adding that no decision has been made as to when it will play.
“I’m really lucky that I didn’t have to keep playing,” Dawkins said.
“The fact that we didn’t have to go back and play on that field just shows that care was taken and all we can ask is that we be treated as human beings.” he added.
“Most people treat us as athletes and superstars, some prefer celebrities, but at that moment, [the NFL] treated us like people. And being treated as someone who is cared for is a beautiful feeling.
“At the end of the day, we’re people, so I’m grateful that I was treated as a person and so were my other teammates. It hurts, and we have families and they hurt and cry.”
