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'Just so proud of that guy' | Damar Hamlin delivers an emotional moment on Monday Night Football

Sep 24, 2024 at 10:51 AM

Dorian Alerte

Contributing Correspondent

It was a night for firsts for several members of the Buffalo Bills as they improved to 3-0 to start the 2024 season after a dominant 47-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rookies WR Keon Coleman and RB Ray Davis recorded their first career NFL touchdowns while DE Javon Solomon recorded his first strip sack, and third-year LB Baylon Spector started for the first time in his career.

"I have so much respect for my teammates and just watching them work and what they do every single day," DE A.J. Epenesa said. "Whether that's training room, on the field, off the field, it's just it's impressive to see how committed, these guys are. Success doesn't surprise me at all, just because I watch it happen off the screen behind the scenes, and when the light shines the brightest you know they're there in the right spot making big plays."

What was possibly the most special moment of the game, was S Damar Hamlin intercepting Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter.

"What a night for Damar," head coach Sean McDermott said. "At home on Monday Night Football, getting his first interception... and the journey that he's been on, and how he's persevered."

Hamlin's interception was not only the first of his in a Bills uniform, but it was also the first of his career.

"There is no words for it man," Hamlin said on ESPN after the game. "I'm still processing that as I go. But I was able to take it one day at a time. And my teammates, my coaches, the whole entire Bills organization was always there for me and supporting me, just like they are now. I'm just truly thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful that I'm a Buffalo Bill."

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With 4:28 left to go in the second quarter, Lawrence overthrew WR Brian Thomas Jr., and the ball ended up in the hands of Hamlin, who ran it back 19 yards. The entire defense waited for him to come back to celebrate the interception.

"It's special, man," Hamlin said. "They were a big part of me being able to make this type of comeback. They pushed me. They gave me love. They gave me grace. They gave me everything I needed on the journey. And they were even happier than I was to get my first interception. But that just shows the community and the bond that we have here in Buffalo. It's truly a special place, and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Hamlin's fight to get back on the field not only captured the attention of fans, but his teammates recognized the effort that he put in working his way back onto the field and earning one of the starting safety roles.

"Wonderful," DB Cam Lewis said. "Just so proud of that guy. Just, you know, everything he's been through fighting his way back and winning that starting job just been playing lights out these past three weeks, just to see him get that first interception this year, I'm just so happy."

After the game, Hamlin was reflective about his last start on Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022-2023 season in which his incident occurred.

"To be able to come all the way back from that and to have a special moment like that, you know, it's all God, right there," Hamlin said.

He was also quick to thank his teammates for the love and support that they have shown him.

"I'm super thankful to my teammates for just the support and the love," he said. "You know that it was encouraging, and it makes all the emotions way easier when you just go out there and you think about, I just want to make plays for my teammates. It makes it all simple again."

When asked about his confidence, Hamlin said making sure he has that "dog" mentality and watching film along with repetition is what has helped him.

"That's where I get most of my confidence from," Hamlin said. "I've been doing this forever, you know, I have that mentality that I want to win. I want to compete on every snap. So, it's like, you know, I'm taking the field each play trying to win, you know, regardless of the situation."

Along with many of the firsts that took place on Monday night, Lancaster native LB Joe Andreessen also made his NFL debut, playing several snaps on special teams and on defense.

"It was cool," Andreessen said. "The atmosphere out there was insane tonight. You know, Monday Night Football. No better feeling, really. And obviously there was a result. Felt very good."

"Experiencing that on the field tonight was, honestly crazy, exactly kind of when I walked out of the tunnel, just looking up, seeing the crowd, the fireworks were going, smoke was everywhere. Got some chills."