2023 ESPYS | Damar Hamlin | Pat Tillman Award
The Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game this year on January 2nd brought a significant challenge to Dr. Desaree and her team when mid-game, the Bill’s safety #3 Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. The game stopped, and the nation watched in stunned silence as Dr. Desaree and the Buffalo Bills staff jumped into action to respond. Hamlin was rushed to the hospital due to cardiac arrest, and both teams, shaken by the incident, did not resume gameplay.
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“The physical nature of football often overshadows the mental impact the game has on the players. That night, the psychological ramifications of witnessing and being involved in this traumatic event were certainly overarching,“ Dr. Desaree recollects. “In that moment, we all shared a collective, human experience as we hoped for the best for Damar.”
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Dr. Desaree explains, “As one of the only NFL teams with a full time sport psychologist or mental health clinician, I was able to implement a mental health response for the whole team that started immediately the night of the incident and continued throughout the remainder of the season. Our work in building community within our organization prior to the incident was extremely beneficial in getting through this situation.” ​​​​​​​​
While Damar returned to the field several months after intensive mental and medical care, the effect this incident created has left a lasting impact on the way the NFL, and the nation, values mental health.
This past summer, Dr. Desaree and her team were awarded the 2023 Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards, honoring the quick response and life-saving measures the team provided to Damar, and the team, on that night. Damar presented the award himself.
“I was honored to be acknowledged alongside the rest of my team. This recognition is extremely important, since the mental impacts of such a physical game often get overlooked,” Dr. Desaree shares.
“Many times, we see professional athletes as superhuman. But this award is a reminder that professional athletes are human too and that their mental health and wellness matters.”
“It is my hope that receiving this award and having this platform will shed light on the importance of mental health wellness not only within the NFL, but in our world as a whole. I hope this experience encourages others to be proactive in creating space for their mental well being. This experience is a reminder that life situations can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone, even on the football field.”
