About a month after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest, the NFL player was photographed at a taping of the Fox TV series “The Masked Singer.”
But the only thing he wore on his face was a beaming smile.
The Buffalo Bills safety was a guest at a taping of the Emmy-winning reality singing competition in L.A. on Tuesday, according to photos obtained by TMZ. Hamlin appeared onstage holding a football and standing next to host Nick Cannon with Hamlin’s name projected on the screen behind them.
In one photo, Hamlin, 24, looked offstage, smiling with his hand placed over his chest.
Hamlin wore a hoodie and sweatpants from his Chasing Millions clothing line, the proceeds of which benefit his family’s Chasing M’s Foundation Charitable Fund. Sales of the line’s “Did we win?” merchandise will go to first responders and the University of Cincinnati Trauma Center, where Hamlin was treated after the in-game incident.
While hospitalized and still unable to breathe on his own or speak, Hamlin famously scribbled “Did we win?” on a note to doctors.
After making a tackle during a “Monday Night Football” game on Jan. 2, Hamlin’s heart stopped as he fell onto the turf. His teammates, fans at the stadium and millions at home watching the national broadcast were left stunned as Hamlin was administered CPR, defibrillated and transported by ambulance to a hospital. The incident shocked the sports world and reignited calls to make the game safer.
In what doctors called “a remarkable recovery” Hamlin was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after the incident and continued to recover at home. He made his first public appearance to watch his team during a playoff game at the Bills’ stadium on Jan 22.
“What happened to me on ‘Monday Night Football,’ I feel is a direct example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and my love directly from my heart with the entire world,” Hamlin said in a video posted last week on his Instagram account.
“And now I’m able to give to kids and communities all across the world who need it the most. And that’s always been my dream,“ he added. “That’s always been what I stood for and what I will continue to stand for. ”
With Hamlin’s appearance on “The Masked Singer,” he joins other NFL players to grace the show’s stage.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown was the first celebrity to be unmasked on the show in 2019. Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, former star tight end Rob Gronkowski and Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Mailata have all been contestants.
Fox has not released any information about Hamlin’s appearance, but Season 9 of “The Masked Singer” will air Feb. 15.
