WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For football fans, coaches, and players, seeing Buffalo Bulls defensive back Damar Hamlin hitting the ground was tough to watch and even harder to comprehend.
Playing and coaching football in Palm Beach County is a way of life.
Seeing Hamlin hit the ground on Monday night really shook local athletes up. But seeing how the players rallied around him afterward was a remind of what the game is really all about.
"You see injuries and you see guys go down, but the way he went down, I knew it was different," said youth football coach and former Palm Beach Gardens Pop Warner president Anthony Pulieri.
Pulieri, who's been coaching youth sports for 20 years and coaches high school football at Oxbridge Academy near West Palm Beach, said seeing Hamlin collapse on the field still rattles him.
"I've never seen the panic like that, and I'm 43," Pulieri said. "I've never seen that in 38 years of football. It was hard to watch."
Pulieri calls football an obsession. But he said seeing an injury like that — knowing Hamlin's heart stopped on the field — puts things in perspective.
"As a coach, the first thing is, is he OK? Where’s mom at? How’s mom doing? The family," Pulieri said.
And what happened afterward shows the heart and soul of the game.
"There were no good parts of the situation, but that was probably the best part, to see them come together, support each other, hug each other, really put football aside and focus on the health of the young guy," Pulieri said. "Once you saw the sheer exhaustion from all the players, I can’t expect anyone to play the game."
"It goes back to that word 'team' and working together with other individuals. And also, when they hurt, you hurt, and that’s a powerful thing," said Palm Beach Rams coach and vice president Corey Tate.
Tate agrees that the sportsmanship from both teams — the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals — shows the power of the sport and that it's bigger than a game.
"We have a team chat going on, so the parents are talking about it," Tate said. "So when we get with the kids, we are always being aware of what can happen when you are playing this game of football, and we have safety first at all times."
Both coaches said the impact they can make on young players drives them to the field, and they hope learning from what happened can only make the game better.
"I hope Damar is OK, because that’s really all that matters," Pulieri said.
The Palm Beach Rams are looking for financial assistance to help with equipment and transportation, as they do not receive direct financial support from the city of West Palm Beach. If you are interesting in helping or learning more, click here.
