Sports
Bills trainer who performed CPR on Damar Hamlin says he isn’t a hero, but ‘I was willing’
The athletic trainer who performed life-saving CPR on Buffalo Bills security Damar Hamlin after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field for the length of a sport would not desire to be identified as a hero. Denny Kellington spoke at the graduation for Oklahoma Teach — his alma mater — on Saturday, the keep he as an alternative outlined his actions had been not the results of heroism, but preparation.
“I’ve stated recurrently that I’m not a hero,” Kellington steered graduates. “But I will state you what I was that day: I was willing. For 27 years, I’ve confirmed as a lot as work as an athletic trainer in some capacity.
“… I was willing on story of I dedicated my life to this work.”
Whereas Kellington hasn’t spoken powerful publicly since he helped resuscitate Hamlin on Jan. 2, Hamlin has known as the instructor “the savior” of his life. Medical doctors officially cleared Hamlin to reach aid to football on April 18, around three months after he used to be launched from the health center.
“I owe Denny my life. Literally,” Hamlin steered “Good Morning The US” on Feb. 10. “He likes to state he used to be upright doing his job. But … that evening, he used to be actually the savior of my life, you understand, administering CPR on me.
“If it wasn’t for any person showing up that day with a ultimate tips and no topic’s going on of their deepest life, upright to keep it aside and upright to be present within the second to undoubtedly be ready to assemble their job properly — that is something I’m undoubtedly thankful for and I fabricate not take with out a consideration.”
Kellington later got the touchdown ball from Bills receiver John Brown for the length of Buffalo’s Week 18 sport against the Unique England Patriots as effectively and even earned one vote for NFL MVP from ESPN’s Suzy Kolber.