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No one can ever fully grasp a situation when the worst happens. On Monday night, we all witnessed one of the most horrific incidents in sports history. The images are forever etched in my mind. Something I thought could be a concussion turned into something far beyond anything I could have guessed.
Damar Hamlin’s injury was the exact definition of a freak incident and one where nobody knew what the next step would be. Except for the EMS crew that saved Hamlin’s life on that field. While I endlessly scrolled my Twitter Monday night looking for an update on Hamlin, I stumbled upon this photo:
Just stood with Tee Higgins’ mom who is now walking out with Tee who has his arm wrapped around her. Tee was the one who collided with Damar Hamlin before he collapsed pic.twitter.com/C1kzWI2hp5
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) January 3, 2023
The photo above captured what had to feel like an out-of-body experience for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins happened to be the receiver that collided with Hamlin. Higgins is seen walking with his mother out of the Bengals locker room in the photo.
After I saw the photo, I couldn’t stop worrying about Higgins. I have never been in the shoes of someone that has been in this situation. So, I can’t speak about anything that Higgins is feeling. I’m basically writing this to let him know that we are also keeping him in our thoughts.
I have never met Tee Higgins; this is just a fan of the game of football wanting to get his message out. Tee, this isn’t your fault. We, the fans, take this for granted week in and week out how dangerous the game of football actually is. It shouldn’t take a nightmare situation for us to thank the players who play this game for our entertainment.
Tee Higgins, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being a part of a game that we all love. We’ve all been the kid in the yard tossing around the football, pretending we’re the star of the game. You get to live that moment each time you step on the field.
While we continue to pray or send good vibes to Damar Hamlin, I know we’re all sending that same positive energy to Tee Higgins.
