Wannstedt on Hamlin Incident: ‘Nothing Like I've Ever Seen Before'

Wannstedt on Hamlin incident: 'Nothing like I've ever seen before' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

On Monday night, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. The safety required CPR and AED assistance on the field and was transported to the nearest hospital, where the Bills stated he was "sedated and listed in critical condition."

Ex-Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt shared his thoughts and reaction to the incident as a former football coach for nearly 40 years. 

"After I saw the collision and saw replays of it, particularly on social media up close, it was not a head-to-head contact," Wannstedt said on NBC Chicago. "The whole concussion theory really was never a thought in my mind. And then when they started talking about the cardiac, CPR stuff, you knew it was a heart issue."

RELATED: What happened to Hamlin? What we know after his collapse

Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field after tackling Higgins and standing up for a few seconds before collapsing back to the ground. 

According to the ESPN broadcast, the medical staff conducted CPR on Hamlin for 10 minutes. An ambulance quickly arrived on the field and transported him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

According to the Bills statement, his heartbeat was restored on the field before he was taken to the hospital. 

Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023

Wannstedt claims though he's been around football for 40 years, he's never seen an incident like Hamlin's on Monday night. 

"I've dealt with a lot of players, obviously for 40 years," Wannstedt said. "Okay, you've got an injury, you miss the rest of the season. Or, if you've got an injury this could be career-ending. But, this was nothing like I've ever seen before and I think that's what had the impact on the entire country and the two teams that were there were seeing it live.

"So different, so different."

Wannstedt, a former head coach of the Chicago Bears (1993-98), also served as linebackers coach and a defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2011-12) and was the head coach for the University of Pittsburgh (2005-10) – both teams of which Hamlin has played for during his professional and collegiate career, respectively. 

Hamlin's family released a statement on Tuesday expressing gratitude for the "love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time." The family acknowledged first responders, medical staff, the Bills organization, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and the people who donated to Damar's charity, which now has over $4 million in donations.