The Question Damar Hamlin Reportedly Asked Upon Waking Up In The Hospital

In one of the scariest on-field incidents in NFL history, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a January 2 game after tackling Cincinnati Bengals player Tee Higgins. With CPR successfully administered on the field, Hamlin was then transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, per The New York Post. The 24-year-old's abrupt injury has emotionally rocked fans and members of the NFL alike. While Hamlin's fans showed support by donating to the player's previous GoFundMe fundraiser, fellow players like Higgins have reached out to Hamlin's family. "[Higgins] went above and beyond to show that he's supportive. He has shown that he's a great human being," Jordon Rooney, Hamlin's friend and marketing rep, told journalist Meredith Stutz.

In an official statement posted on January 5 to the Buffalo Bills' Twitter account, the team shared that Hamlin was improving steadily. According to his doctors at the UC Medical Center, Hamlin "appears to be neurologically intact," albeit still in critical condition. Given that he damaged his lungs and was breathing through a ventilator, the Bills assured fans that Hamlin's "lungs continue to heal." As shared by uncle Dorrian Glenn to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Hamlin has already gone from using 100% to 50% of oxygen from his ventilator.

As NFL Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted, Hamlin opened his eyes on January 4. According to his agent, Rob Butler, Hamlin was not only awake but was holding hands with his family. Now, Hamlin's first words upon regaining consciousness have been revealed.

Amidst Damar Hamlin's encouraging health update, the University of Cincinnati Medical Center held a press conference on January 5 elaborating on the athlete's condition. As journalist Josh Marshall re-capped on Twitter, Hamlin reportedly asked doctors upon awakening, "Who won the game?" Per CNN, Dr. Timothy Pritts, vice chair for clinical operations at UC Health, recalled that one doctor answered, "Damar, you won. You've won the game of life." Given that Hamlin was still intubated, doctors clarified per a follow-up tweet by Marshall, that all his questions "were in writing." 

With doctors denying "that Hamlin had to be resuscitated again at [the] hospital," as per earlier reports, the UC Medical Center staff also shared that Hamlin was intubated on the field, per Marshall's tweet. So far, no signs of neurological impairment or damage have been detected with the 24-year-old. "So, we know that it's not only that the lights are on, we know that he's home. And that it appears all cylinders are firing within his brain," Pritts shared with CNN. For Hamlin to make a true recovery, however, Pritts said that he would have "to be completely breathing on his own and to be ready to be discharged from the hospital."