In football, the Safety position is the stronghold. This athlete has the responsibility to be the final chance
the team has to prevent the opposite team players from scoring. It is an important position in the
context of winning the game. Winning the game of life… is another position. On January 2nd 2023, a
young athlete played his position—Safety—for his professional football team, the Buffalo Bills. He was at
work. His job: To prevent the opposing team Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver from scoring with football
in hand. Damar Hamlin, ran and tackled Tamaurice William “Tee” Higgins to prevent the wide receiver
from making the play. At first, the tackle seemed routine. But, this tackle was different. At the moment
the two players’ impact, Damar Hamlin’s heart was in cycle between contraction and expansion. It was
at that exact moment, his hearts’ rhythm was essentially interrupted by the force of impact. Cardiac
arrest; he collapsed on the field. Damar Hamlin experienced what medicine defines as Commito
Cordis—a rare occurrence in which the split second the heart cycle is between—tightening—to push
blood out before—relaxing—to fill with blood, the heart experiences forceful contact that changes its
normal rhythm to an abnormal rhythm such as ventricular fibrillation. When the televised game
observed Damar Hamlin collapse after the tackle, he was in cardiac arrest. He needed immediate CPR.
He needed immediate care with an AED. And, he received it. The outcome: He lived to tell his story.
Winning the game of life.
