Josh Allen (17) reacts while medical staff attend to Damar Hamlin on January 2. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills’ star quarterback Josh Allen grew emotional Thursday when thanking the medical staff for their swift response to Damar Hamlin’s collapse and for “saving his life.”
Allen, speaking at a news conference in Orchard Park, New York, paused to collect himself as he walked through the experience.
“You lose sleep, you hurt for your brother,” he said. “A lot of shared grief.”
“But (getting) updates, and positive updates, eases so much of that pain and that tension that you feel,” the quarterback said.
“The scene just replays over and over in your head,” Allen said, when asked to reflect on his thoughts during the on-field medical response. “It’s hard to answer that question and actually describe how I felt, how my teammates felt in that moment.”
Allen credited head coach Sean McDermott for a “perfect” response in the locker room and in support of his players in the days since Hamlin’s collapse.
Multiple NFL teams and players have donated to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe toy drive charity.
Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay donated $25,003, the NFL team told CNN Wednesday.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the team contributed $18,003. The Patriots wrote on Twitter Wednesday, “In Jewish culture, 18 symbolizes “chai” or “life”, while 3 represents Hamlin’s number.”
Also donating were the Houston Texans who gave $10,003 and the Washington Commanders who gave $5,000, both teams told CNN.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady as well as Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara donated $10,000 apiece.
Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints participates in warmups August 19. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
New Orleans quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife, JJ, gave $3,000 to Hamlin’s charity.
Dalton talked about his special bond with the Buffalo Bills’ fan base.
“I think this has been something that I have personally been affected by, especially with that happening to a Bills player, the Bills fan base,” Dalton said. “The support of Buffalo have donated to my foundation through a win. “Now this is something completely different. This is a tragedy that something happened and so one way to show our support is we wanted to give back. …The donation is small but we’re really thinking about him and praying that he’s going to push through with everything.”
Fantasy leagues are donating too, according to a GoFundMe.
“A lot of fantasy football leagues are donating their prize pots to the fundraiser,” the spokesperson told CNN. “You can find at least a handful using the league name as the donor name. For context the MNF football game in which Hamlin got hurt was the final game for most fantasy football playoffs.”
The GoFundMe organized by Hamlin has raised more than $6.5 million.
