# Damar Hamlin collapses on field (Now cleared to play football) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 3, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560 "2023-01-03T02:15:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/1 "2023-01-03T02:15:58Z")
There wasn’t anything dangerous looking with his tackle. He got up and just collapsed. They did CPR for 10 mins and brought an ambulance onto the field. Extremely serious. I’m not sure how you can continue to play after this. They temporarily suspended the game and they’re going back to the locker room. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/2 "2023-01-03T02:29:36Z")
The head/neck impact he experienced could have easily been serious and dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/3 "2023-01-03T02:29:49Z")
They were giving him oxygen as they were putting him into the ambulance, and then sent the players back into the locker room. You could see guys crying on the field. Not to be morbid, but to my knowledge, there hasn’t been a player who died playing professional football (well, post the Teddy Roosevelt era, at least). Ray Chapman died playing baseball, in 1920, following a beaning to the head. Incidentally, I believe the report was that he got up after the hit, but then collapsed on the field (similar to what just happened). And to be clear, I really really hope that this isn’t what’s happened. But the reaction to this injury led me to this thought. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/4 "2023-01-03T02:33:39Z")
I don’t have a cite from my phone news but they’re saying the ambulance is waiting for his mother to come from the stands to ride with him. If that’s true that doesn’t sound good at all. I’ve never seen anything like this in a sporting event. He needed CPR and his heart shocked. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/5 "2023-01-03T02:34:37Z")
I’ve watched this several times and it looks to me as if Higgins shoulder made contact with Hamlin’s sternum or chest. Certainly something related to a head/neck injury is a possibility but to me it really looks more like an abrupt and strong impact to Hamlin’s chest. Either way, not at all good. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/6 "2023-01-03T02:34:52Z")
It looked like he was hit in the neck/upper chest on that hit. I don’t know if something like that could cause a serious situation. Getting CPR makes it that much more serious. Keeping a good thought for him. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/7 "2023-01-03T02:36:08Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Not to be morbid, but to my knowledge, there hasn’t been a player who died playing professional football [Chuck Hughes died on the field in 1971.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hughes) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/8 "2023-01-03T02:37:22Z")
Ambulance left at 9:35pm. If you hold until a relative can ride along that means you’re doing great or unresponsive and expected to die. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/9 "2023-01-03T02:37:40Z")
At the end of the day, football’s only a game… Saying a prayer for this young man. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/10 "2023-01-03T02:40:16Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It looked like he was hit in the neck/upper chest on that hit. I don’t know if something like that could cause a serious situation. It could cause his heart to stop. > [@](#): > > Blunt cardiac injury is blunt chest trauma that causes contusion of myocardial muscle, rupture of a cardiac chamber, or disruption of a heart valve. Sometimes a blow to the anterior chest wall causes cardiac arrest without any structural lesion (commotio cordis). > **[Blunt Cardiac Injury - Injuries; Poisoning - Merck Manuals Professional Edition](https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/thoracic-trauma/blunt-cardiac-injury)** > > Blunt Cardiac Injury - Etiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, signs, diagnosis & prognosis from the Merck Manuals - Medical Professional Version. > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Chuck Hughes died on the field in 1971. I did not know that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/11 "2023-01-03T02:45:05Z")
Yep. This happened to Chris Pronger during an NHL game in the early 2000’s. Took a slapshot off the chest, skated for a few seconds, then collapsed. He received CPR, and was ultimately fine. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/12 "2023-01-03T02:46:50Z")
It looked like a pretty innocuous tackle except his helmet started to come off. I wonder if his head whipped hard in the process. If it was a head injury then falling backwards and hitting his head would have made it worse. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/13 "2023-01-03T02:53:19Z")
I hope they cancel the game. I’ve been rattled since I saw it. Can’t imagine how the players feel. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/14 "2023-01-03T03:01:28Z")
It looks like the NFL has officially suspended the game for this evening. Now just a wait to see how Hamlin is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/15 "2023-01-03T03:02:35Z")
They just suspended the game I don’t know if EMS can measure brain wave activity but I can’t imagine them holding an ambulance unless they knew he was gone. the ambulance waited 34 minutes from the time of injury. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/16 "2023-01-03T03:05:36Z")
I figured this was a big deal when Rachel Maddow mentioned it on her show. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/17 "2023-01-03T03:06:49Z")
From the look of it, His chest and the helmet of the bengal player had an impact. Cardiac seems to be most likely. His poor mom. The game has been officially postponed. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/18 "2023-01-03T03:07:06Z")
They just read the official statement from Roger Goodell of the NFL and he said Hamlin is in critical condition. So I guess that’s good news? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/19 "2023-01-03T03:16:35Z")
I was watching the game, and then, following along with whatever news is being shared by the commentators. In all my years of watching sports, I’ve never seen anything like this. I hope he’s okay, and we get some good news. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560/20 "2023-01-03T03:17:01Z")
I thought that it was implied that there was no player who died on the field as a result of a hit or impact, Hughes had a previously undetected heart artery condition, and he fell to the ground while running to the huddle, no other player hit him when he fell down. I hope that Hamlin will not be the first (?) to die as a result of an impact in the modern era of the game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damar-hamlin-collapses-on-field-now-cleared-to-play-football/977560.md?page=2)