Damar Hamlin was recently back on the football field. Now, he'll take the mound at Yankee Stadium.
The Buffalo Bills safety will throw the ceremonial first pitch on July 3 while being honored by the New York Yankees as the team begins its annual HOPE Week initiative that spotlights individuals and their stories to inspire others.
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Hamlin, 25, recently resumed his football career after recovering from cardiac arrest suffered during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January. He will be joined at Yankee Stadium by former Fordham softball player Sarah Taffet, who in 2021 was resuscitated during a game with CPR and an automated external defibrillator by a Fordham athletic trainer and medical personnel.
Prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and other members of the organization will take part in CPR training in the outfield to learn the techniques that helped save Hamlin's life.
Hamlin, who collapsed after making a tackle, was resuscitated on the field after members of the Bills' medical and athletic training staff administered CPR. Hamlin then spent 10 days recovering and being monitored in hospitals in Cincinnati and Buffalo.
Hamlin, a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was fully cleared to return to football in April. He took part in team drills earlier this month for the first time since his near-death experience.
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Hamlin has since been honored by the NFL, made an appearance at the Super Bowl and met with President Joe Biden at the White House while advocating for education and equipment access to respond to cardiac arrest.