After a chilling scene Monday night in Cincinnati, Ryan Clark put it all in perspective for the NFL community.
Following a first-quarter hit on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and needed to have his heartbeat restored on the Paycor Stadium field before he was transported to a local hospital. The Week 17 game between Cincinnati and Buffalo was postponed after players and staff members from both teams were visibly shaken by what took place.
ESPN kicked it to Scott Van Pelt and Ryan Clark once the "Monday Night Football" broadcast concluded. The NFL cornerback-turned-analyst opened his appearance with a heartfelt and thoughtful take on the situation.
"I think the first thing -- this is about Damar Hamlin," Clark said. "It's about a young man at 24 years old that was living his dream, that a few hours ago was getting ready to play the biggest game of his NFL career and there's probably nowhere else in the world he wanted to be. And now, he fights for his life. When Damar Hamlin falls to the turf and when you see the medical staff rush to the field and both teams are on the field, you realize this isn't normal. You realize this isn't just football. So many times in this game and in our job as well, we use the cliches, you know? 'I'm ready to die for this. I'm willing to give my life for this. It's time to go to war.' I think sometimes we use those things so much, we forget that part of living this dream is putting your life at risk.
"Tonight, we got to see a side of football that is extremely ugly. A side of football that no one ever wants to see or never wants to admit exists. When you see both teams on the field crying in that way, your first thought is Damar Hamlin. The second thought is his family. This isn't about a football player, right? This is about a human. This is about a brother. This is about a son. This is about a friend. This is about someone who is loved by so many that you have to watch go through this. I've dealt with this before and I watch my teammates for days come to my hospital bed and just cry. I had them call me and tell me that they didn't think I was going to make it. And now this team has to deal with that and they have no answers.
"So the next time that we get upset about our favorite fantasy player or we're upset that the guy on our team doesn't make the play and we're saying 'he's worthless' and we're saying 'you get to make all this money,' we should remember that these men are putting their lives on the line to live their dream. Tonight, Damar Hamlin's dream became a nightmare for not only himself but also his family and entire team."
The latest update on Hamlin was delivered shortly before 2 a.m. ET by the Bills, who revealed the 24-year-old was in critical condition after being sedated.
