Damar Hamlin update with Cameron Wolfe

the audience about it. And we're gonna have the great Cameron Wolf of NFL Network on and just a bit who's at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, getting the latest from him and his vibes at what it's like to be this close to the story of this magnitude. Greggy Uh and Mark, I'll start with you. Gregh. This has been obviously one of those stories that you never forget and we we've all been tracking it minute by minute, hoping for positive updates about tamar Um. How you doing.

But yeah, it's it's something that when we all watched it, I think everyone recognized immediately that never seen anything like this on a football field, that it was a life and death situation in any sort of precedent that you saw how teams were handling, how the NFL is gonna end up hand handling it, and everything is is different because tomorrow, Handlin's you know, young man fighting for his life, and we've been waiting, you know, to do this podcast,

partly hoping, you know, seeing what the news is gonna be, and uh, it is encouraging. As we were about to start taping, the Bill sent out a release that said tomorrow remains in the i c U and critical condition, with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight. And yeah, we'll get into that with with Cameron Wolf who has more details and everything. But I do feel like when it comes to his health, and that's just been the focus here, like we're in a better place than we

were Monday night. Yeah, I mean it's it's such a positive, uh in situation from a day ago, and I think that, you know, everything just was put on holding my my feeling watching it, Um was so surreal, and I you know, I have thought back even sort of as it was unfolding, and you could tell that it was just the length of time that they were on the field um attending to him that you're starting to think, yourself, this is unprecedented.

I never watched anything like this happen in football. Been watching football sinceour and it just stood out as something completely different, where the game um just faded into the complete background, into the ether. And you know, this stuff that stood out to me was we have an idea of who, like Josh Allen is right, like he's this superstar athlete who does things that um, the human body

just doesn't typically do. And then you're watching the other side of Josh Allen where like the look on his face, that just something that will stick with me, just the look on his face, and like you're realizing, wait a minute, these guys, UM they live together, they eat together, they spend all their time together. They know each other's personalities

so well. There their brothers, they love each other and just like the few line of players watching that happen to another player probably just obviously dug so deep into their own internal world of what it means to go put your body on the line each day. And so, if anything, the thing I think that's come out of it for me is just seeing like the community of NFL players UM band together in such a way that is kind of rare, and like just the way the

coaches handled it. I mean it was just um a very human event, and I thought it was handled by the both teams in the most um humane way possible. And I thought that was the most encouraging thing about it. I'm glad you brought that up about Josh Allen because I was going to do the same thing, Mark, like when they came back from the break, when it first happened on the on the tackle of Tee Higgins and you saw Josh Allen with his kind of hands over

his mouth, obviously in a state of shock. We didn't know at the time, but I think obviously that was the moment when the CPR was going on and and all the life saving um medical techniques were being used to help Tomorrow Hamlin and uh, that's stuck with me. That will always stick with me. And and the NFL. I think part of what made it, you know, so shocking is the NFL doesn't stop. The NFL does not stop.

We just went through a global pandemic um where you know, countless lives were lost and impacted, and the NFL found a way to keep going. Um. You know, you go back. For those of us that are older, you remember nine eleven and how the NFL that stopped the NFL for a week, um, and they had to recalibrate some things and that's the only other time where just the actions stopped and you could feel it. As we've covered the league now, um, all of us have been with it

with the company for well over a decade. Like uh, the way um that everything halted UH this week, whether it was media availability, team practices, other kind of league announcements like the Pro Football Hall of Thames, UM, announcements about the upcoming vote for Canton, everything kind of just disappeared, and it just and the league went into lockdown mode.

And that that in it in itself. As someone who's covered the league for a long time, it just hammered home how surreal everything was and it all came out

of greggy Bills versus Bengals. This like Titanic matchup, the matchup of the year with everyone watching it did remind me of one of my earliest sports fans sports fan memories as being a nine year old kid watching uh the World Series between the A's and Giants and just in the um irony of all ironies, UH, the earthquake that shocked the central coast of California and killed a lot of people, injured a lot of people, and that

shut down the World Series. All eyes were on the World Series that year when this mega event happened, and similarly here um, everyone was watching this game in a prime time between two of the best teams at football, and it just made it all the more surreal. Yeah, you you appreciate, um, the medical responders as we as we tape this Wednesday. I think the NFL teams are keeping DeMar in their minds and you can hear that in their press conferences, but they're also starting the process

of moving forward with their week. Teams are practicing it's On Wednesday, Zach Taylor, the Bengals coach, spoke for the first time, and that's why that the medical responders were first on my mind. He he spoke really emotionally and um, well, just about his gratitude for them, how prepared they were, and how they've given Tamar Hamling like, um, the best possible chance, um to to get through this, and that the positive signs that we're seeing now we're all all

started there like in the it a battle. And he he also spoke about Sean McDermott and in his leadership in that moment, and I think that was telling that you know, he said he learned who Sean McDermott really was, and listening to Zach Taylor, I really appreciated the way he spoke about it so clearly and openly today and we do have some of those comments about McDermott where he revealed a little more like how everything went down, Um, when Hamlin first collapsed, when I got over there, Uh,

the first thing he said was I need to be the hospital of Tamar, and I shouldn't be coaching this game. And so that to me provides all the clarity because there were there was no unprecedented the world that gets thrown out a lot about this situation because that's what it is. But in that moment, he really showed who he was that that all his focus was just on Damar and being there for him, being their first family

at the hospital. And and at that point, um, I think everybody everything trend in the direction of the trend and the right decisions from me there. But um, again just just uh the way that I really felt Sean McDermott led in that moment for his players. He was their first players. He processed the right way, which is incredibly difficult, and uh, it really helped us get to

the solution that we needed to get to well. I mean you think also even before this incident, that what the Bills have been through this this season where they had that situation where they you know, couldn't play at home, they were snowed out, they were in Detroit for two weeks, and like that takes leadership, but this was next level.

And I you know, we had a chance to talk to McDermott um early in his career, before the Bills became what they were, and I think we all we kind of all right awake, felt the connection to him and liked him because he just was, um, a real dude. And I I can only imagine that like if you're a Bills player, the way you feel about there's coaches all over the league where like players aren't connected to him.

Sean mcdermot's completely different and in this situation where you have to make a choice one way or another, um, and he handled so perfectly and it was so organically and it came from who he was. And it tells me a lot about the Spills team. And I think that,

you know, my hope for them. I'm sure it's going to be such a struggle and so odd to have to go play after all this, But um, if anything, like what we know about the Buffalo Bills is that it's it's probably brought them together in a way that few other teams could um say they've experienced. Yeah, and it's that is the kind of others the football story side of this as well as like what happens next, and we're gonna obviously what we do. We cover the league.

Everyone that listens to the show knows Thursday is our preview episode, and it's just like we don't know yet. Nobody really knows because this is unprecedented, just like when everything went down on Monday night and there was confusion about is the game restarting? Like what's next? The people and that is building not knowing what was going on.

Everything is this is uncharted territory. So um, it is going to be interesting to see how the NFL figures out in terms of the endings and with how this

impacts maybe the playoffs and the scheduling. But all of that obviously remains on the back burner and we we find out and wait to find out and hopefully get good news about mar Hamlin, and you just wonder how the NFL will go about, um figuring out how to take the next step while also monitoring what's obviously still a very fluid situation UM at the University of Cincinnati

Medical Center. Yeah, it's been interesting to hear a couple of the ex players talk about the media just how the next snap of football is just gonna be heavy. You know, yeah they I so. I mean, the whole thing was so surreal. On Monday night, I go through my my routine throughout the day Monday in terms of writing the Power Rankings column. Then I'm downstairs and I'm alone and I'm wrapping up Power Rankings as I'm watching the first quarter of Monday night football business as usual.

It just happened to be the biggest game of the year. And you know, when this went down, and immediately it just obviously felt different and was scary, and you all, you get thrown out of the football side of it.

I just I went upstairs and I had my iPad and I called my wife over My kids were sitting on the couch luckily not watching the game UM, and showed it to her and like, you know, just like see her reaction and and you know, the the outpouring obviously of concern and support has been u uh, pretty amazing, but again surreal because we're we're in especially us what we do, We're in this bubble, this NFL bubble, and we're just rolling through another long season, and for this

to happen in week seventeen, it's been so jarring, like mentally, um and obviously you can't even imagine where the players and the Bengals are preparing to play, and obviously Tee Higgins involved directly with the play has been um going through some things. Um uh. But the Bills, I mean the Bills if if they're if the weeks on the schedule, they have to play football. So it's man, ma'm man, this has been crazy, and I hope this guy is okay.

I think we're all you know, obviously speak for everybody on that this. We need a good outcome on this one.

It's like unfortunately, like is a life and death situation which obviously is bigger than football, and like we've we've experienced a life and death situation with their great friend Chris, and this is like a professional thing, but it does have you step back at the moment, I guess, and just kind of realized like what matters and and some of the UM videos of Damar Hamlin talking about like

cherishing life and learning about demor. Hamlin actually has been a positive about this, and we'll talk about that with with Cameron Wolfe. But just like that in the moment too, I don't know, they think about what what all matters here, and suddenly a lot of things don't seem as important, like the Seahawks, UM, you know, having to play earlier in the day than the Lions when the Lions might be eliminated sometimes somehow, you know, suddenly feels like a

very like asinine thing to be arguing about. And I think we're all like forever impacted obviously by UM Chris and and and how his life was cut short in such a tragic and unfair way, and it did, it did summon memories of that for me also just because in addition to how sad that ending was the fact that it happened that Super Bowl weekend and how surreal that was, and even to the point of us doing instead of a super Bowl recap show, we did an

episode just talking about Chris two days after he passed. UM again, like the real world and life UM all of a sudden, like showing how small all this other stuff is uh man, Okay, you know we were gonna talk to that Monday night recap with when Nick was text and he, as you guys know, he was gonna go gonna go to that game, ended up not not going because he thought it was going to be cold

and then he got called called the pond. So we'll well, hopefully have Nick on later this this season for a Bengals playoff game, which we'll have a different feel and hopefully be a great celebration. The whole season has a different feel now and now let's uh without further ado. We did speak with NFL Networks Cameron Wolf, who has been boots on the ground in Cincinnati since uh this went down. Greg and I had this conversation um with Cameron. So um listening and here we go. All right, now

we have a guest joining us. He has been all over the coverage of damorrow hamlet situation. He is NFL Networks Cameron Wolf, joining us from uh well, a car near the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Cam, welcome back to around the NFL. How are you doing, buddy. It's been I'm sure a pretty hectic forty eight hours. Yeah, manager man definitely been hectic, really, thirty six hours of NonStop attention on tomorrow Hamlin's health and where his recovery is.

So just trying to do our best job, me and my producer Laura jack Nick, trying to figure out how we can tell this story and give everybody the updates they need. Yeah, you've done an amazing job. I've seen how hard you've been working. Just kind of where we stand now and we're talking right afternoon East Coast time on Wednesday. Just give us kind of an update of how DeMar Hamlin's doing the most that you know at

this hour. Yeah, we're here outside the hospital where we're really getting an hour to our update on how Demor Hamlet is doing. It's really small updates, but as we know, we're trying to get any context on how he's doing. And so the most recent one is Wednesday morning to spoke with his family spokesperson Jordan Rooney, who told us essentially that things are moving in a positive direction. And that's the quote that I think sums up really the

last twelve hours of damorrow. Hamblin's process a small step, but a stump step nonetheless, and he remains a critical condition. He has sedated UM. He remains in the I see you, the intensive care unit UM, but he has received an improvement and his breathing in particular UM with how he's working for the ventilator. And so when I say that he was using a of the ventilator to brief for him when he first arrived. Now it's fift and so he's starting to breathe a little bit more by on

his own. But they still want to continue to have him progress UM to where he can fully breathe on his own. And so that's what they're watching now. They're watching his lungs and trying to get those recovered UM

and reaching out to the hospital. They have no information right now they're able to share, but you know, we're keeping in touch with them to see UM where they are, and so just reaching out to his family, reaching out to UM the hospital and right now we're all in a waiting game and to get what we hope is eventually that good news that his status is upgrade. Yeah,

and it's you know, obviously extremely fortunate. As you've learned more about the story and how the mechanisms of the NFL machine works in terms of how they handle an emergency incident. Jordan Rodrigue, The Athletic wrote a good piece outlining how it works, the fact that University of Cincinnati is a Level one trauma center, which it appears like he is getting, um, the the best type of medical attention. Uh he could get. Right now, what is the scene

in or around the hospital itself for the medical center? UM, I imagine obviously a strong media presence, But do you have a lot of uh just onlookers or people you know, camped out front? Like what is the vibe there? Yeah, probably about thirty to forty media cameras at the peak at times, and you have people driving around who obviously look at us doing TV and wondering what's going on in other people who stopped by and say, hey, we're praying for him. Um, you know they know what the

story is. Half of the city, the west side of the city was lit up blue um last night for Damar Hamlin. And you know there was a visual out here right on the corner of the hospital about a blockdown with about forty to fifty people at eight pm and about an hour that was literally a day twenty four hours after um. You know, Damar Hamlin suffered at the cardiac arrest on that Monday night football game, and so players, you know, the fans, they're essentially we're saying,

they wanted to support tomorrow, pray fir them. They were giving motivational messages, they were singing amazing Grace and the family, Um, you know, saw all the support they've they've got, whether it be the fans outside of the building, whether it be the coaches and players and gms who have constantly given them support. I know, talking with his uncle, he mentioned just how powerful it was for a family, for the family to see the entire Bills team around him

showing the motion. Seeing that because you know, we know the NFL is a game, but and and some people know it's a brotherhood, but you don't usually get to see that element of it, you know, the true love and care that these people have for their brother and so, UM, the family definitely appreciates and feels the support, and right now they're encouraged. UM, but it's still very much a

waiting game. Yeah. I heard your report this morning, UM and your your interview with the with his his friend Jordan's saying, you know that the one thing they didn't want was anyone throwing any negativity tee Higgins way because they said that was a normal football play and they actually have a background with te Higgins going going back, way back, and I guess I'm curious along that lines, like, have you we heard initially that some Bills players were

staying back in Cincinnati? Um, do you know if if if some are still there? Have you seen players around? And then just because you know, I've been watching you on TV and those have to be short parts off, if you have anything just on what you're last thirty six hours, what what you've seen going back to Monday night at the stadium, or any anything else in terms of things that you've been able to see and what that experience has been like from from the player's point

of view and everything that's happened. Yeah, Gregg, first, I'll start with te Higgins because I think it was good for the family to come out and express uh their feelings there. That was something that was really the family initiated. They wanted to make clear that they wanted to stop the criticism for tagginst to stop and that it was not his fault. And I think that's important because I was leaving UM the stadium on Monday, and I saw Tee Higgins with his mom Are who had an arm

wrapped around him, and he was emotional. And so naturally, whether it's right or wrong, if you're involved in a player that has a player injury, you're gonna blame yourself. And it appeared that T was having some emotional periods there. And so we've heard some some wild comments on on on places about Tea and just kind of how uh he is at that point, and I think the family wanted to be clear that they did not they did

not support any criticism for him. And so the Bengals returned to work today and they'll go through their walk through the Wednesday afternoon, and eventually we will hear from T. But right now they are dealing with the emotional trauma just like many of us are, Like the Bills are trying to continue their week, and so that that's what I want to say in that respect, and in regards to really the last thirty six hours, it's been a

heavy story. Just being real, like a lot of our jobs as reporters is to remove our emotions and tell the story and give people the updates um that they need to hear. UM. But you just kind of see how it impacts everyone. I've seen some of the Bills players faces and their reactions. I've seen the Bengals reactions. I've seen fans here, um. And you see some of the family members that I've met over the last you know, twelve eighteen hours, and Garson's uncle and the family friend

who's a spokes to person. Those people are trying to give you clear answers. But you can tell that this

is not easy. And so that's the biggest thing that I think, um, I may not have you know, been able to share fully on NFL network because you're trying to tell the facts, is that the emotions um of this thing are are hard to manage, and so um, you know, just kind of going through this process, I think it's it's really showed me the humanity of people, um, you know it, but just kind of see the support.

You know, go fund you page has over six million dollars that he's received really over the last twenty four hours of people that don't know this man. For the most part, Um, you have, uh, people who come up in strangers, as the families told me, who paid for food for them every day since they've been here. Jeff Rubies, which is a steakhouse out here in Cincinnati, is catering the family dinner um, you know, uh tonight. And I

know because I went to Jeff Rubies last night. Jeff Rubies is expensive, and so they're they're definitely um showing as much love and support. And I think everybody badly across the NFL and across America and particularly here in Cincinnati are just waiting for that positive news that atmar

Hamlin is Okay. Yeah, that's really well said, Kim. And I think a story that's this big, um, you know, there's always gonna be some darkness in it, whether it's people with their phony go fund me or somebody that might be coming after Tee Higgins on social media. All that's absurd. And I like that the family their use of the word frustrated that anybody would even think to

do that. But I think like what's really come out in these situations is like the humanity and the love and just the public outpouring of the support that you're talking about there. This has been kind of I don't know, it's in a really trying time from a human standpoint, it kind of lifts your spirits to see um Cincinnati lit up and blew on a Monday night game that's started with the Bills as the enemy, and this idea that the a f C could come down to this game.

The fact that that all kind of just disappear eared and it became about this one player, um and and this one person who is in this fight for his life. It's it's been jarring. I know, I can. I know you have a different background than Greg and I in terms of your media training and journalism path, but it is jarring when we like for me, for instance, I got into sports because like that was where I felt comfortable and what was I wanted to do something fun

in my life for a career path. And then something like this comes along and it's like the real world intercepts and it does feel it could be jarring. And I just want to thank you and everyone that's been covering this story, uh for handling it because it can't be easy. I appreciate you saying that it's not, but I think you know, we've got to tell the story right,

you know. I think our job as journalists are always being storytellers, no matter if the story is what we love to cover, which was at thirty five Joe Burrow Josh Allen game, which I went there Monday hoping to see to a player fighting for his life. I think regardless, UM, we're here on the ground to tell whatever the story is, and for for this weekend, it happened to be the scariest story we've had all year, in quite some time

in the NFL. And so, UM, you know, I think that we have to process that this is a game we love, but there's also risks and dangers that come with it, and this is one of it. And so I think that you know, the whole league. I've received so many text message and calls from people who are not related to the Bills, the Bengals or Damar just checking in, and so the whole league is literally, um

watching this situation and really caring for for this man. Um. And I just think that that's one thing that has been a positive through the light. You know. The uncle mentioned this to me as well. It's just you know, you're seeing just how much the NFL is a community, and you know, it's not just Bills fans, it's not

just Damar Hambling fans, it's everyone. And UM, I think that you know, as we move forward through this process, I think Damar, and this is something that the family has really wanted to wanted to express, is that Damar, when he hopefully wakes up and it is back to a point where he can understand what's going on, will will be overwhelmed with just the support that he's received throughout.

I think his uncle had a great quote to me, said, a lot a lot of times, we don't get to see how people how much people love us when we're still alive. And now Damar has a chance to fight through this and get a chance to see just how much from people he may have known that loved him and people who may not have known at all. And uh, you know, sometimes we wish it didn't take this, but it also, you know, it's a a reminder of just how much instances can impact people. And so you know,

you mentioned just sort of the city. I was in Uber last night and I was talking on the phone with someone and the Uber driver said, man, I've been praying for that kid for three hours, and uh, it just hit me. I'm like, man, um, this story is really touched everyone. So yeah, I appreciate you. Uh, Cam the last thing and if you got to go just let us know, and um, I just wanted, I guess because I've learned about Tomorrow Hambling a little bit, you know,

over the last two days. It wasn't you know, I wasn't familiar with this story and just like before we let you go, I guess just curious of anything you learned about Tamar Hamlin. What what you knew about him before, even uh you know, as a players, as a man and everything before. This is getting to know who he is a little bit. Now, that's a great question. I

was talking to a buddy about this. Tomorrow AMML has been the start and safety for the number one team in the a f C for most of the year, and I'd say probably football didn't know who his name was before this week, and so um that's the reality of like so many players in this league. But I guarantee you that more people know his name and the story now than than had ever had. And so, you know, I was learning about Damar throughout this process. I've really

just learned how much he is a family loving person. Um. You know, he has a loving set of parents who who are super supportive of him, super strong. He has a little brother, seven year old Demere who is really his world. He's his role model there. And it really hit me when I was talking to his uncle that his little brother, Demir, who seven, was watching this game in Pittsburgh with the family and he was the first one, the little brother, to see his big brother hurt on

the field. And he started crying, and then the uncle started to uh console and they started to console each other essentially, and they that's when they decided to pack up the two cars after the game was canceled and drive up to the hospital where they've been since. And so I've learned just how much the family has impacted him, but then also just how he loves to give back, you know. Um, you know, he goes to pee wee games and random cities just to go hang with kids.

You know, that's that's his his love that he likes to do in the offseason. He's a guy who, um we know about his toy drive. He has had a mission to give back to his communities, and now he has a chance to do so with over six million dollars um of money, you know, to help him medically, but also to help people there. Um. You know, you've learned just how much Um, He's a fun loving dude.

You know. I've talked to a couple of players and coaches who the first thing they mentioned to me about Damar is man, every time I see Demorrow laugh, he makes people laugh, like and he's like, you know you hear that and you're like, oh, what he was like, No, man, I can tell you some of the jokes Tomorrow told me, whether whether whether they're they're good to share or not. And I'm like, Marrow would make you laugh even if

you're the first first time you met him. And so you know, these are some of the things that I've learned about him as a person. And just being real, I've never met DeMar Handling before, like one on one setting, and I've spent the last thirty six hours sharing your

story and I can't wait. I can't wait. I was just telling my producer, UM, two moments I can't wait for is the moment that, um, you I get to meet DeMar for the first time and and and talk with him hopefully and be able to uh, you know, get insight on how he's reacting to everybody else's spirit and in that moment where Damar joins his team again, whether as a player, even if he's just at the stadium, UM, soaking it in and just kind of seeing that emotion

UM that I'm sure Bills fans builds players and Bills coaches will have surrounding him. Um. Those are the moments we have to look forward to. As of now, we don't have any set timetable and when we'll get those moments, UM, but I choose to as we continue to work those stories, think about those moments UM as we you know, wait for more and more information. Absolutely, Kim, that's a great way to put it. And we look forward to that

situation unfolding as well. And I did you mentioned the family, um, and the nephew when he found out there was just something that kind of hit me emotionally when it comes to family that they got in the car they drive three miles through what felt like a hurricane according to the uncle. Yeah, to get to uh their guy and be there to support him. Cam, thank you so much for joining us foul Cam on NFL Network on Twitter at Cameron Wolf and keep keep up the good work.

And I hope you get some rest down the line when we get good news on what's happening inside that building. Thank you appreciates there he goes Cameron Wolf and uh, that was great. It was great to hear from Cam and like Greg, you know before we say goodbye. Um, it is again like a very human story. And even um a colleague like Cam I camped out there. You could see how this story has affected him on a personal level, especially the more you learn about Tomorrow Hamilin

and who the who this guy is. So just hearing from Cam, I could tell that this isn't just a typical story for him to cover. Yeah, I think everyone wants to do something, and you know, of the things he did there, which I think is good to do, is put put that pot, you know, you put that positive energy out into the world. But on a more practical level, he's doing something in in reporting and so yeah, compartmentalizing that while while also being a human. Uh, he's

one of our best. So I'm not surprised he's he's doing it. And that's like we'll be watching him, you know, like him and and and Ben Baby has been doing a good job over ESPN everyone reporting this story, Like, well, we'll be watching them, hoping open for the good news as soon as we can for sure. Um, okay, so we set here obviously from and around the NFL standpoint, UM, like everyone else, will be tracking the stories that goes along and get UM back with updates when when they come.

We have, of course like kind of spinning forward because the NFL, and that's a whole other story around this, like what happens next for the NFL. But as of right now, Week eighteen is on as scheduled, and you'll hear from us again UM on Thursday, UH, and we'll we'll take a look back at what's going on in the NFL. But obviously this everything kind of has taken a back seat right now to what's happening around the Bills and tomar Hamlin and UM, what's the next step

for him? So for Mark Sessler UH and Greggy and Grave Digger behind the virtual glass, we will be back in touch with you guys soon. Until then, he the call