Buffalo Bills star safety Damar Hamlin gave his first interview since suffering a cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game.
Hamlin personally thanked team trainer Denny Kellington for “literally saving my life.”
As Slay News reported, doctors say Hamlin initially had a pulse on the field and then lost it.
That’s when Kellington started to perform CPR, ultimately saving his life.
In an interview that will air Monday morning on ABC, Hamlin said: “I owe Denny my life. Literally.
“He loves to say he was just doing his job.
“But that night, he was literally the savior of my life, you know, administering CPR on me.
“If it wasn’t for someone showing up that day with a clear mind and whatever’s going on in their personal life, just to put it aside and just to be present in the moment to actually be able to do their job correctly — that’s something I’m truly thankful for and I don’t take for granted”
MONDAY ON @GMA: “He was literally the savior of my life.”@michaelstrahan sits down with @HamlinIsland to reflect on what happened on the football field and his remarkable road to recovery. https://t.co/EzJjRf96zj pic.twitter.com/9P4mXQScmp
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 10, 2023
Hamlin said at the NFL Honors event on Thursday:
“First, I would like to just thank God for even being here.
“Every day I’m amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world — encourage to pray, encourage to spread love, and encourage to keep fighting no matter the circumstances.
“My entire life, I felt like God was using me to give others hope and now with a new set of circumstances, I can say he’s doing what he’s always done.
“I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones, but it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose.
“My vision was about playing in the NFL and being the best player I could be.
“But God’s plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world,” he said.
AMAZING to see Damar Hamlin recovered, up there with the medical professionals that saved his life.
The feel good story I needed today.🥹♥️pic.twitter.com/Vb1wICLjoA
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) February 10, 2023