Unbelievable and uplifting as Damar Hamlin‘s tale has been, he’s added some statistical chronicle to it, as well.
The Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a 2023 game is now officially a world record-holder.
During the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Hamlin, the NFL, the American Heart Association and Dr. Mike Varshavski combined their efforts to take life-saving training to historic measures, setting the Guinness world record for “most people to complete CPR training in one hour.”
Hamlin and his very large cast of good Samaritans assisted in 1,293 people completing CPR training in a 60-minute window on April 24 – which was Day 2 of the draft – at Acrisure Stadium.
“As my experience with cardiac arrest has shown, CPR really does save lives,” said Hamlin, via the Bills team website. “To see my hometown come together to set this record and learn this skill is incredibly meaningful, and I’m proud to see the NFL, the American Heart Association, and our community come together to build a life-saving legacy.”
Hamlin, 28, is entering his sixth NFL season, all with the Bills. The 2021 NFL Draft sixth-round pick out of Pittsburgh re-signed with Buffalo on a one-year deal in March.
During Hamlin’s second season, he sustained a cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2023, in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the Week 17 contest, Hamlin collided with Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins and subsequently suffered commotio cordis, which resulted in his cardiac arrest on the field.
Hamlin received CPR on the field before he was transported to a hospital and remained in critical condition for roughly a week. The quick thinking of Denny Kellington, an athletic trainer with the Bills, to perform CPR is credited with saving Hamlin’s life.
Now, the Bills safety is continuing his mission of spreading the message of just how crucial CPR education and training is.
“Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival,” American Heart Assn. chief executive officer Nancy Brown said, via the team website. “This record-setting moment with our incredible collaborators is about more than a number—it represents nearly 1,300 people who are now prepared to step in and help save a life. That’s how we build a Nation of Lifesavers.”
More than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year. Only 10% survive due to lack of timely CPR, per the American Heart Association. For more information or to donate, visit www.heart.org.
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