Damar Hamlin accepts the Alan Page Community Award: ‘It’s a blessing to be a blessing’

Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills safety, on Wednesday received the 2023 NFLPA Alan Page Community Award.

The award is given annually, and is the highest honor that the NFLPA can give a player. The award annually recognizes one player who goes above and beyond to perform community service in his team city and/or hometown.

“It’s a blessing to be a blessing,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin will receive $100,000 from the NFLPA to use for his foundation, Chasing Ms, or a charity of his choice. Chasing Ms was designed to raise money for toy drives, and has since been expanded for camps and other community activities for children.

“Giving back to my community has always been a big part of who I am,” Hamlin said as he accepted the award in Arizona on Wednesday. “Thankful to my father who is right here behind me, growing up and just watching him do community days in our community. I just was always waiting on my time when it came.”

Hamlin accepted the award about 5 weeks after he suffered cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati during a Monday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals. Hamlin needed to be resuscitated on the field and was taken to a Cincinnati hospital where he spent several days in the ICU. His charity received millions of dollars of donations immediately after the incident.