Outside of a few minor incidents, the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills joint practice Thursday went pretty smoothly. Players got some valuable reps against different competition, and no one got into a brawl or got injured. It felt like just another practice, but for Bills safety Damar Hamlin, it meant so much more.
Hamlin was drafted by Buffalo in 2021 out of the University of Pittsburgh. He’s actually from Pittsburgh and has a deep connection with the city. Hamlin was involved in an on-field injury that almost ended in tragedy, so he takes every day as a blessing. In a video released on the Bills’ YouTube channel, Hamlin spoke about how much Thursday’s practice meant to him.
“It was a dream come true to have my first joint practice back at home versus my hometown team, the team I grew up a fan of,” Hamlin said. “Watched Mike Tomlin win his [Super Bowl]. Just a legendary coach who has been a superhero in the community. He almost was a part of raising us up. It was legendary to be back here.”
Hamlin has talked about how much love he has for the Steelers and Tomlin, so it makes sense that getting to practice in Acrisure Stadium would mean a lot to him. The Bills have played the Steelers three times since Hamlin was drafted, but they’ve never played in Pittsburgh. Even if it’s just a preseason game, Saturday will be Hamlin’s first NFL game in Pittsburgh, and it should carry a lot of emotions.
“Nothing but love. I’ll be interacting with everybody,” Hamlin said. “It’s just truly home, and if you know me, I’m a hometown kid. I won’t shy away from no love, no conversations, no anything. This is my place. My heart started racing just getting off the plane and getting back home.”
It should be a great moment for everyone if Hamlin gets some playing time on Saturday. It’s a game where the final score doesn’t truly matter, so even if he makes some plays against the Steelers, those moments will be powerful. Hamlin may not be a Steeler, but he’s a fan of the Steelers, which should help fans connect with him.
Hamlin talked about how his approach to the joint practice differed from how he usually feels.
“I’m just cherishing the moment. Like today, I cherished that practice. We be so in a rush to get off the field and get through a practice, but today I really tried to slow myself down and enjoy the moment because this was something special to me,” he said.
Hamlin almost lost his life playing football. A dream come true turned into a nightmare in a split second. To be able to not only come back from that, but also return to playing football, is miraculous. He might not be a superstar, but he achieved a dream most football fans had at one point.
Saturday will be even more special for Hamlin. He’ll be going from watching the Steelers on television to playing against them in Pittsburgh. The stadium where he played in high school and college will now see him set foot on the grass as a pro football player. A childhood fantasy come to life.
It should also be an inspiring moment for other children in the Pittsburgh area. Hamlin is proof that if you put in enough hard work, it’s possible to make your dreams come true. Maybe in the future an NFL player from Pittsburgh will cite seeing Hamlin play in Acrisure Stadium as a defining moment.
We’ll see how much time, if any, Hamlin gets during the game on Saturday. If there was ever a time for him to have a great game against the Steelers, this would be it. Better now than if the two teams match up in the playoffs. That’s the only other time the Bills could play the Steelers this year. If a preseason game is bringing this kind of emotion out of Hamlin, imagine what a playoff game in Pittsburgh would be like for him. Hopefully the Steelers can get through the season and make it to that point.
