Damar Hamlin’s father calls for a STOP to criticisms of Tee Higgins for his son’s unfortunate injury
Ava White
Updated on March 31, 2026
Damar Hamlin’s father Mario Hamlin has talked to a reporter about his son’s unfortunate injury, which happened during the Bengals-Bills matchup in week 17 of the NFL regular season on Monday.
During the first quarter of the game, the Bills’ defensive back suffered a cardiac arrest following a collision with the Bengals WR Tee Higgins. The wideout was trying to gain some extra yards after catching a 13-yard pass from his quarterback Joe Burrow. He led with his right shoulder to lay a hit on Hamlin, who was trying to contain him. The safety managed to tackle Higgins but not before receiving a hard hit to the chest.
After the routine tackle, Hamlin seemed to be okay as he stood up and adjusted his helmet, but within the next three seconds, he collapsed on the Paul Brown Stadium’s turf. He was then administered CPR on the field by the Bills medical staff and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance for further treatment, where he remains in critical condition. This horrific injury has shaken the sports world and left everybody praying for the young man’s quick recovery.
The Buffalo Bills later released a statement in the early hours of Tuesday Morning. In the statement, they mentioned that Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field and had to be administered CPR since they found out he was not breathing.
Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
Also, unfortunately, a lot of people including, ESPN analyst Bart Scott have blamed Tee Higgins for this unusual freak accident, and Damar Hamlin’s father Mario Hamlin wants them to stop it. He spoke to a reporter to give clarity on his son’s health when he asked people to stop criticizing the Bengals wideout.
Related : “He’s ok,” Zac Taylor reveals his conversation with Tee Higgins after collision with Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin’s father wants people to stop criticizing Tee Higgins
Hamlin’s parents, Mario and Nina Hamlin have been at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old safety is getting treatment since Monday. Furthermore, the young safety’s father has spoken to an ESPN reporter to give updates about Hamlin’s health.
Just chatted with Damar Hamlin’s family friend @jordonr.
Per Jordon and Damar’s family, doctors overnight got promising readings that they had been hoping to see by this morning. Jordon couldn’t go into specifics, but progress appears to be made.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) January 4, 2023
Mario asked people to stop criticizing the Bengals WR Tee Higgins for his son’s injury after giving updates about Damar’s health. He said that Damar is still sedated and in critical condition at the hospital, but there is some progress in his health according to the doctors. Mario also made sure to clear all the miscommunications in terms of the number of times Damar was resuscitated. He told the reporter that there was only one instance, and it was at the Pycor stadium.
Will have much more on @espn throughout the morning/day. (We recorded an interview) But two other comments to look for from him: Damar’s father is among those calling for any criticisms of Bengals WR Tee Higgins (who was part of the play Damar was injured on) to STOP.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) January 4, 2023
Want to be sure I reiterate that although a small, hopeful step appears to have been made, Jordon did mention that Damar still has a long way to go in his recovery. But the family’s optimism remains high and steady as it’s been throughout all of this.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) January 4, 2023
The six-foot DB has received prayers from many people across the sports world. His GoFundMe campaign which Damar initially set for his charity, has received more than $6 million in donations from fans, players, NFL teams, and many other people.
Related : Damar Hamlin’s Contract details: Know the detailed breakdown of his cashflow
