Bills, Patriots players show support for Damar Hamlin before matchup
Hamlin was awake and tweeting after suffering the scary incident
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots players and the fans who packed Highmark Stadium on Sunday paid tribute to Damar Hamlin, who has been recovering in the hospital from cardiac arrest.
Bills and Patriots players were on the field warming up with "Love for Damar" and "Love for 3" shirts. Fans were in the stands holding up hearts with the No. 3 written in the middle. Other fans had "Hamlin Strong" signs in the stadium.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was also at the stadium.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, center, arrives to Highmark Stadium before game between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Hamlin suffered the medical emergency on Monday as the Bills took on the Cincinnati Bengals. He made a tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins, got up from the tackle and then collapsed on the ground. The team said he suffered cardiac arrest and needed his heartbeat restored on the field before he was rushed to the hospital.
Over the course of the week, the news on Hamlin’s condition got better. On Saturday, doctors tending to Hamlin described his neurological function as "excellent." The Bills said Hamlin continues to breathe on his own but remained in critical condition. He was taken off a ventilator Friday and showed an ability to speak.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New England Patriots fans hold signs in support of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Buffalo Bills players wear the number 3 in support of safety Damar Hamlin during practice before the New England Patriots game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Hamlin also tweeted for the first time since the incident.
"Putting love into the world comes back 3xs as much… thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed. This will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me!" he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A stand-by ambulance parked in the stadium tunnel shows support for Damar Hamlin before Sunday's Buffalo Bills. (Mark Konezny-USA Today Sports)
Fans show support for Damar Hamlin prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Jan. 8, 2023. (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
As the four teams who played Saturday night showed their support for him, Hamlin offered one more tweet.
"The love is felt, & extremely real. No matter race or religion everybody coming together in prayer!" he wrote.
Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills jogs onto the field wearing a Damar Hamlin shirt before the New England Patriots game on Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones shows his support of Damar Hamlin before the Buffalo Bills game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
He was up Sunday watching his teammates walk into Highmark Stadium.
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The Bills and Patriots play at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.