Los Angeles Times

Hamlin able to breathe on his own and talk

Bills safety makes an appearance in a team meeting via video and is trending positively.

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is breathing on his own and able to talk after having his breathing tube removed, his agent said Friday — the latest step in his remarkable recovery in the four days since going into cardiac arrest and being resuscitat­ed on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin even joined the Bills’ team meeting via videoconfe­rence. He used mostly hand gestures — “some staple things that [the players] know him for,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said — and told them with his voice at the end, “love you boys.”

“Amazing. Touching. To see Damar, No. 1, through my own eyes, I know it’s something I’ve been looking forward to, kind of needing to see,” McDermott said. “And to see the players’ reaction. They stood up right away and clapped for him and yelled some things at him. It was a pretty cool exchange.”

McDermott said he kept it a secret from the team before announcing he had “a treat in store” for them — putting Hamlin on the big screen in the meeting room.

“He’s just an infectious young man with an infectious personalit­y,” McDermott said.

In a statement, the team said Hamlin’s “neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.” Agent Ira Turner was unable to provide any other details to the Associated Press.

Hamlin’s recovery continues to trend in a positive direction after his heart stopped while making what appeared to be a routine tackle in the first quarter on Monday night. Hamlin spent his first two days in the hospital under sedation to allow his body to recover, and on a ventilator to assist his breathing.

The Bills were able to enjoy a moment of jubilation after Hamlin’s latest step.

“We got our boy, man. It’s all that matters,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “To see the boy’s face, to see him smile and to see him go like this in the camera,” Dawkins said, flexing his muscles to mimic Hamlin, “it was everything. And then to hear him talk, it was literally everything. That’s what we needed.”

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