The NFL had one of its scariest moments in recent years on Thursday night, involving two players with equally scary injury histories.
What first looked like a routine play took a sinister turn when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovoila’s hand clenched after a head-on collision with Buffalo Bill’s safety Damar Hamlin.
Both players have an injury history on national television.
Tagovailoa has suffered brain injuries previously and Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after his involvement in a tackle in the 2022 season. Hamlin worked hard to get back on the field and has been named a starter this season, but he knows the harsh reality of the sport.
“It’s trauma. It will always be there,” Hamlin said according to Pro Football Talk.
“I’m able to not be affected by it because of the work that I’ve done. I went through trauma therapy. I have a psychologist I talk to. It’s allowed me to push my mind forward, push my process forward. I did the hard stuff last year as far as putting the pads on, tackling, getting game-ready to know that I’m now perfectly fine and perfectly able to go back and play.”
Hamlin went on to mention Tagovailoa would be in his prayers.
All NFL fans are hoping Tua can make a full recovery as the league continues to work on making the sport safer for its players.
