Inside Damar Hamlin And Dane Jackson's Friendship

During a September 2022 game against the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills cornerback Dane Jackson suffered a terrifying neck injury that led to him being taken off the field in an ambulance. "He was next to me, and I just grabbed his hand a little bit harder just because you know you never know when your last day could be that you get to experience something like this," Damar Hamlin — his good friend and teammate — said during an appearance on "One Bills Live," following the incident. 

When Hamlin collapsed on the field from a cardiac arrest, The Athletic reported that Jackson "wouldn't go anywhere near the scene." The two — who played college football in Pittsburgh together before turning pro – had developed a close companionship, making it difficult for Jackson to watch his friend receive CPR and be taken away in an ambulance. 

Jackson spoke about the relationship between the two football players in a recent press conference. "Every time we left each other or every time we'd go on the field, we're always finding each other," he said. "It doesn't matter what moment it is, but we always make sure to tell each other we love each other before the game." He explained that this had been a tradition since their college years. However, the friendship between Hamlin and Jackon goes back much further.

According to NPR, not only were Damar Hamlin and Dane Jackson on the same college football team, they essentially grew up together, getting their start in the little league before playing against each other in high school. "The best part for me is the history we got," Jackson said during an appearance on "Coffee with the Bills." The athlete described how both were raised on the same side of town, attended high school near each other, took classes at the same college, and eventually landed a spot on the same professional football team's roster. "That's stuff people dream of," Jackson said. "They talk about that as little kids." Hamlin added that his journey to the NFL with his childhood friend felt like it came "straight out of a book."

Jackson was drafted to the Bills in 2020 and Hamlin the year after. The cornerback considers the safety as a little brother. "You can't really ask for a better step to success than that. And we treat it as such when we remind each other how blessed we are," he told the Buffalo Bills website. Safety Jordan Poyer is also in the group of Bills players who came from Pittsburgh. "It's extremely cool to play alongside somebody that you played with for a long time," he said. And the "Pitt boys" have a connection to the Cincinnati Bengals as well.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd is also a University of Pittsburgh alum, just like Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Despite tossing the pigskin for the same college during different years, the two were excited to face off against each other on January 2. "It was crazy, me and him were pretty much talking the whole week," Boyd said in an interview. He then recalled his interaction with the safety before the game, adding that the two planned on swapping jerseys after their match.

And when Hamlin suddenly collapsed on the field after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Boyd was reportedly one of the Bengals players who was pretty shaken by what he saw. "Initially, when I saw [Boyd], and how far out there he was, the Pitt connection hit me," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in a press conference. He then said that he asked if Boyd knew Hamlin. "'Yeah, that's my guy,'" the receiver answered.

Hamlin appears to be recovering from his cardiac arrest and on-field collapse and is expected to be released from the hospital soon. The athlete has been active on social media, tweeting his desire to be on the field alongside his teammates as they defeated the New England Patriots on January 8. "Nothing I Want More Than To Be Running Out That Tunnel With My Brothers," he wrote. "God Using Me In A Different Way Today. Tell Someone You Love Them Today!"