Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh as a city knew Damar Hamlin before his scary injury on Monday in Cincinnati.
Well before kickoff between the Buffalo Bills and Bengals, before Hamlin ever played a down for the Bills, and even before entering the 2022 NFL draft, he played in Pittsburgh.
Hamlin is a product of Pitt–not just the college where he played for as a Panther, he also went to high school in Pittsburgh.
Due to close proximity, Hamlin and Tomlin built up a relationship over the years.
After Hamlin collapsed due to a cardiac arrest which placed him in critical condition in a Cincy hospital, Tomlin sounded off on the situation.
Tomlin’s press conference happened on Tuesday during a time where many NFL teams called off pressers due to Hamlin’s ongoing situation. The longtime Steelers coach felt the need to say his piece, it appears.
“I’ve known that guy probably since he was 12, got a lot of love and respect for him,” Tomlin said.
See the attached YouTube clip below for Tomlin’s full thoughts on Hamlin:
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