Harrison Phillips Made Wonderful Gesture on Tuesday
Ted Schwerzler
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Over the course of this NFL season, specifically in regard to the Minnesota Vikings, there has been no shortage of games that could go down as something we have never seen before. Between the Buffalo Bills victory, and the Indianapolis Colts comeback, there has been plenty of jubilation. On Monday night however, we saw something unprecedented for a completely different and more somber reason.
The NFL was supposed to be wrapping up its slate of Monday Night Football action with a tilt for the number one seed in the AFC. Buffalo was playing against a surging Cincinnati Bengals team, and we were going to get fireworks between two great teams. Instead, after just a 7-3 start to the first quarter, the unthinkable happened.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin made a seemingly routine tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. For an instant he appeared fine, and then he went into what we now know was cardiac arrest. Having never seen such a thing on a football field before, Hamlin was rushed to the hospital and the league postponed the game.
Although the storylines were supposed to be about two teams fighting for the top playoff seed, they instead became about a young man fighting for his life.
As is the case with many players across the league, switching teams has become a constant in a sport that continually changes rosters. For the Minnesota Vikings, there’s plenty of crossover between themselves and the Buffalo Bills. Fans saw how emotional Stefon Diggs was following the incident, even to the point of going to the hospital to be by his teammate. Current Vikings lineman Harrison Phillips also found himself looking for what to do next and having played the entirety of his career in Buffalo before this season, knew he needed to make an impact.
Using his charity, Harrison’s Playmakers, Phillips made Hamlin the focal point of his pay-it-forward initiative. He took care of the family, doctors, and those involved making sure they were fed and thought about in a substantial time of need. While he couldn’t be present with Hamlin or his former teammates, he found a way to make an impact from halfway across the country.
Football has become such an integral part of American culture. It is consumed by many, and fan allegiances run deep. It is incredibly heartwarming to see how fans have come together in support of Hamlin and his family during this time. People have contributed to his charity well beyond the means that his current NFL salary can provide help, and prayers have been sent from all over the world.
Seeing a moment like the one we saw on Monday night take place on a football field puts the game in perspective. We have heard for years how the NFL needs to do a better job taking care of its players and focusing on their health. Something like this is certainly unprecedented, but it serves as a reminder how fast it could all come crashing down. Hamlin’s salary is not lucrative in the same terms as superstars, and beyond that it is not even guaranteed. He has no windfall of financial protection should he suffer lifelong issues from this, and the league must do better in those regards.
While we have seen things like Phillips step up, and the GoFundMe take off, it’s a reminder that there is still more for the league to do on their own. It is good to see teams coming together with their support for a fallen brother as the league is certainly a fraternity, but we must not forget about how scary of a scenario this was and allow it to be something that only remains in the public eye for a brief period of time.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.