Widow of only NFL player to die on the field watched Damar Hamlin in horror: Report
Misty Severi
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The widow of the only NFL player to die on the field admitted that she watched her TV in horror as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field on Monday night.
Sharon Hughes, the widow of the late Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes, said she felt an immediate bond with the family of Hamlin, as she was in the same position when her husband died. Hamlin’s mother rode with him in the ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the same way Hughes did for her husband.
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“I was very emotional,” Hughes told NBC News in an interview Tuesday. “Can you imagine how his mother felt? It’s a horrifying feeling, and, well, I just felt so sorry for the whole family last night.”
Chuck Hughes died in the last quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears when he had a heart attack on the field in October 1971. Hughes had taken the place of an injured player and caught one pass before he fell to the ground and clutched his chest. Medical attempts to revive Hughes were unsuccessful, and an autopsy showed he had undiagnosed heart disease, according to the outlet. It was also likely that the heart attack was his second, with the first going unnoticed.
Hughes was survived by his wife and his 1-year-old son Brandon, who is now 53. Brandon Hughes said that if the family of Hamlin needed a support system, they had one with his family because they knew what the family was going through, according to NBC.
Hamlin is still considered in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon and is sedated in the intensive care unit. But doctors received the promising readings they were hoping for, according to Hamlin’s marketing representative Jordon Rooney. Rooney added that Hamlin still had a long way to go but that the family was optimistic.
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Hamlin’s family put out a statement on Tuesday afternoon that expressed “sincere gratitude” for the support they received while Hamlin is in the hospital.
“On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time,” the statement read. “We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.”