Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was honored on the field at Super Bowl LVII prior to the opening kickoff.
Hamlin was joined by a group of the medical personnel from Cincinnati, Ohio, who treated him after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills' game against the host Cincinnati Bengals last month.
Hamlin could be seen grinning and holding up his hands in the shape of a heart, a symbol that was widely used by the player online and people showing support for him on social media during his recovery. The medical workers waved and crowded around Hamlin as the crowd roared.
More background: Hamlin initially was hospitalized in Cincinnati when his heart suddenly stopped after a tackle during a game against the Bengals on January 2.
Hamlin collapsed seconds after the open-field collision with a Bengals wide receiver, and medical personnel rushed onto the field and administered CPR quickly – which helped save his life. He then received treatment at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The Buffalo Bills safety has received an optimistic prognosis on his playing future from the NFL players union doctor.
“I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” Dr. Thom Mayer, medical director of the NFL Players Association, said on SiriusXM Doctor Radio’s “Heart to Heart” program.