Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will appear on Good Morning America on Monday in his first television interview since the football player collapsed mid-game on the field last month, suffering cardiac arrest.
In the interview, Hamlin credits the team’s athletic trainer, Denny Kellington, as his “savior” after Kellington resuscitated him on the field when he collapsed during the Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I owe Denny my life, literally,” Hamlin told the show’s host, Michael Strahan. “He loves to say he was just doing his job, but that night, he was literally the savior of my life—you know—administering CPR on me.”
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Read more: Damar Hamlin Released From Buffalo Hospital. What to Know About His Recovery
Hamlin also opens up about his recovery, the events of that day, waking up in the hospital and his future in football.
The 24-year-old was in critical condition for days after he was injured during the first quarter of the game. Hamlin had tackled Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who rammed into Hamlin at high speed. Kellington spent 10 minutes performing CPR on Hamlin before he was resuscitated and rushed to the hospital.
Hamlin spent nearly a week in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center before being transferred to a hospital in Buffalo. He was discharged from the hospital just nine days after the game, surpassing doctor’s expectations. Hamlin’s collapse spurred conversations on cardiac issues in young people and the dangers of football.
Following his recovery, Hamlin is teaming up with the American Heart Association and running a campaign to educate people on heart health and the importance of CPR, aiming to train three million people in CPR.
“If it wasn’t for someone showing up that day with a clear mind and whatever’s going on in their personal life, just to put it aside and just to be present in the moment to actually be able to do their job correctly—that’s something I’m truly thankful for and I don’t take for granted,” Hamlin said in the interview.
The interview will air live Feb. 13 at 7 A.M. ET on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
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