Buffalo Bills

Damar Hamlin just received an incredible honor from the NFL Players Association ... and in his speech accepting the award, he told a throng of reporters that he was thankful to God "for being here."

The NFLPA presented Hamlin with the Alan Page Community Award at a ceremony at a Super Bowl event Wednesday afternoon ... recognizing him as a player who went above and beyond to perform community service in his team city and/or hometown.

Hamlin hopped on the mic after taking the trophy -- and spoke publicly for one of the first times since he went into cardiac arrest during a game last month.

"First, I just want to say, 'Thank you,'" Hamlin said. "Just thank God for being here and thank the other guys who were nominated for the award as well who did the work in their communities alongside me as well."

Hamlin beat out four others -- Patriots DB Jonathan Jones, Commanders OL Charles Leno Jr., Raiders TE Darren Waller, and Buccaneers linebacker Devin White -- for the prestigious honor.

In his acceptance speech, Hamlin said giving back to his community "has always been a big part of who I am." He thanked his father for instilling that value in him when he was young.

Even before his medical emergency, Hamlin had found ways to inspire others in his community ... hosting toy drives constantly, and distributing gifts to children in need in Pennsylvania through his Chasing M's Foundation.

Damar actually created a GoFundMe page for his non-profit org. -- and following his health scare, it raised over $9 million.

Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Kim Pegula is dealing with both speech and memory issues after suffering cardiac arrest last year ... her daughter, Jessica Pegula, revealed on Tuesday.

The tennis star opened up about her mom's health in an emotional piece for The Players' Tribune -- explaining it's been an uphill battle for Kim after she nearly lost her life following a June 2022 medical emergency.

Jessica said she first learned of the issues involving the 53-year-old a few days after she had returned to the U.S. from the French Open last year.

"I got a call around midnight (on my mom’s birthday) from my sister Kelly who was staying at my parents' house," Jessica said. "Something was wrong with our mom, and she was headed to the hospital in an ambulance."

Jessica revealed Kim had gone into cardiac arrest while asleep -- though, thankfully, Kelly performed CPR on her until medics arrived.

"She saved her life," Jessica said of Kelly.

Jessica said her mom went on to spend a week in the ICU ... but after making small improvements with help from her team of doctors, she was moved into an in-patient care facility, where she began talking a little.

Now, Jessica said her mom is steadily improving ... but "she is dealing with significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues."

"She can read, write, and understand pretty well," Jessica said, "but she has trouble finding the words to respond."

"It is hard to deal with," she added, "and it takes a lot of patience to communicate with her, but I thank God every day that we can still communicate with her at all."

Jessica says she was in Sydney, Australia last month for a tennis event when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a similar health scare to her mother ... and she said she immediately became sick over it all.

"My stomach sunk because it felt like the exact same thing all over again," Jessica said ... before revealing she told one of her teammates, "I am a little freaked out right now, this is too close to home, and I feel like I am going to have a panic attack."

"Again, I usually don’t get too much anxiety, but the thought of what Damar and his family were about to go through hurt my heart. I knew how important time was. I just kept thinking time, time, time, time. I hope they got him back and quick enough."

Damar Hamlin was a special guest at a taping for "The Masked Singer" Tuesday night ... marking one of the Buffalo Bills safety's first appearances since his medical emergency last month.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures from the set of the taping ... showing the 24-year-old holding a football and smiling on stage alongside host Nick Cannon, with his name in big red letters on the screen behind him.

Hamlin made his first public appearance at the Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on Jan. 22 ... but while he was present to show support for his team, he did not speak to the media.

Hamlin has since posted videos on his social media -- thanking his supporters and kickstarting a CPR challenge campaign with the American Heart Association.

We're told Hamlin attended the taping alongside his young brother, Damir, who's a big fan of the show ... and he wanted to come along to check out the action.

Damar Hamlin is kickstarting a campaign to spread CPR awareness and training following his on-field medical scare earlier this month ... teaming up with the American Heart Association to create the "3 For Heart" challenge.

The Buffalo Bills safety announced the move in an Instagram video ... saying, "Once again, I want to thank everybody for their love and support over these past few weeks."

"As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field, and CPR could easily save your life or someone you love."

To help the raise awareness for the procedure, Hamlin and the AHA came up with the social media campaign ... which includes three steps: learn hands-only CPR, donate to the AHA to fund CPR awareness and education, and challenge three people to do the same.

Hamlin started the movement by calling out Tom Brady, LeBron James and Michelle Obama to get involved.

As we previously reported, the medical staffers who immediately took action and performed CPR on Hamlin during Monday Night Football were credited with saving his life after suffering cardiac arrest on the field on Jan. 2.

Hamlin has been on the road to recovery ever since ... and continues to improve by the day.

Damar Hamlin is speaking to the public for the first time on camera since his life-threatening health scare on the field -- and he has a lot to say ... including a ton of thank-yous.

The Bills safety posted a video Saturday, where he's sitting down and venting his thoughts in his own words ... and it's pretty touching. He describes the terrifying hit he took on MNF as somewhat of a blessing -- saying he feels as though it served as a vessel to inspire others.

DH says he believes, through that tough time, he was able to put his passion for the game of football on display ... which he thinks will serve others going forward, especially kids.

He also thinks this was a great example of humanity over everything ... with all teams across the NFL coming together to support Damar through his healing journey. Damar also heaped a lot of gratitude and praise for several individuals ... starting with the Bills medical staff.

Damar went down the list of team doctors and personnel who were on the field that day and worked on him ... rendering CPR and other life-saving measures. He went on to thank the doctors at the hospitals he was at, his teammates, Bills Mafia at large and the NFL as well.

Of course, he gave a nod to everyone who was sending him well-wishes ... including the folks who donated millions of dollars to his toy drive. Damar says it helped him recover.

Damar has been vocal online since his incident, supporting his guys both from his hospital bed and even in person last week -- tweeting out words of encouragement along the way.

The Bills might be now outta the playoffs -- but the Damar Hamlin tributes are still pouring in ... this time, Eagles running back Miles Sanders rocked some spikes to honor the injured safety, and he loved 'em!!

The 25-year-old tailback showed off the feet heat on his Instagram page Thursday ... and the pair of tribute shoes are awesome.

One cleat features a portrait of Hamlin surrounded by a heart. The other has his No. 3 jersey number. There's also an ode to the famous "Did we win?" line he uttered to doctors in the days after he suffered his on-field medical emergency during the Jan. 2 Bengals-Bills game.

Both cleats have "Love For Damar" written on them as well -- with Hamlin's foundation, "Chasing M's," on the back.

Hamlin clearly loved the shout-out and the design, re-sharing Sanders' vid on his social media page while writing, "unreal."

Several NFL players have shown the 24-year-old love since he suffered the cardiac arrest ... including Tom Brady, who donated $10,000 to Hamlin's toy drive foundation that's currently at $9 million and counting.

A mural was also made by a local artist in Buffalo, and celeb jeweler Gabriel Jacobs gifted 80 gold #3 pendants to the Bills team.

The medical professionals who assisted in Damar Hamlin's recovery following his medical emergency are being honored in a big way ... with the Cincinnati mayor giving them a key to the city!!

Aftab Pureval's office announced the news Thursday ... saying city officials want to show their appreciation for the providers who cared for the Bills safety after his cardiac arrest.

We're told the ceremony will take place at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center ... where 24-year-old Hamlin spent a week with doctors as they tended to the NFL player.

Hamlin's physicians -- Dr. Knight and Dr. Pritts -- played an integral role in rehabilitating Damar so he could be released from the hospital.

At one point during his stay at UC Health Medical Center, Damar -- while still hooked up to a breathing machine -- famously asked the doctors who won the Monday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals.

"You won. You won at the game of life," they told Hamlin.

Ultimately, doctors felt that Damar had made enough progress to be released from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at UC Health Medical Center ... allowing him to continue his recovery at home.

Josh Allen is taking aim at all the conspiracy theorists and tinfoil hat-wearers who have insisted there was a Damar Hamlin body double at the Bills' playoff game on Sunday ... saying straight up, "That's stupid."

Allen addressed the outlandish internet rumors while appearing on "Kyle Brandt's Basement" podcast ... urging people to "stop that s***."

"Yeah, that's stupid," Allen said ... before adding, "There's absolutely zero chance. That's the Damar Hamlin. That's our guy. That's our brother."

The theories swirled up after Hamlin wore a mask, hoodie and sunglasses to Buffalo's postseason contest against the Bengals on Sunday ... with trolls suggesting it was all in an effort to hide something.

But the Bills' star QB says that's all B.S.

"One, that's Damar's swag -- he likes wearing that," Allen said. "Two, he was in the locker room with us pregame. So, yes. That was Damar."

Eli Apple says he was NOT trying to diss Damar Hamlin on Twitter after the Bengals beat the Bills on Sunday ... claiming he would never make light of the Buffalo safety's medical emergency.

The tweet in question came late Monday night ... when the 6-year NFL cornerback quote tweeted Stefon Diggs' post addressing his emotions after the game.

"Cancun on 3," Apple replied in the tweet ... ending it with a hand heart emoji.

Many believed the emoji was a reference to Hamlin, who has been known to do the heart hands throughout his career ... and most recently, following his in-game collapse on Jan. 2.

In fact, the 24-year-old safety made the gesture during the divisional round matchup while sitting in the Highmark Stadium suite.

Hamlin's teammate, Shaq Lawson, called Apple out on it ... saying the disrespect won't be tolerated and "that s*** get you beat up frfr. Keep it on the field."

But Apple -- who re-signed with the Bengals last March -- denied the shade, saying Tuesday he would never joke about a serious incident like that.

"All love thoughts prayers and concerns to @HamlinIsland as he continues to recover from that tragic incident," Apple said via Twitter.

"Never would I make light of that scary unfortunate scene. This game is truly a dangerous risk to our bodies mind and spirit. Nothing but love to all my football brothers."

Damar Hamlin's presence at the Bills' playoff game has fueled wild conspiracies on the Internet among the tin foil hat-wearing crowd ... with some suggesting a body double was used in the 24-year-old safety's place.

But, multiple sources tell TMZ Sports that's simply not true ... sorry, conspiracy theorists.

Hamlin attended the Bills-Bengals game Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium ... his first time back at an NFL game since he went into cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati on January 2.

Damar, wearing a mask, hoodie, and sunglasses, was shown on television and the stadium scoreboard ... but between the accessories and bad weather in Buffalo, it was difficult to see Hamlin.

FYI, it was 30 degrees in western New York on Sunday.

Given Hamlin didn't speak with the media, and his face wasn't seen clearly, some people went to Twitter and online forums, suggesting a stand-in was used in DH's place.

The speculation has even gotten to the point where people were dissecting other pictures of Damar ... including the one teammate Matt Milano posted last weekend, which was believed to be Hamlin's first return to the Bills facility.

In the interest of debunking Internet conspiracy theories, we made some calls ... and multiple people close to Damar say it's absolute nonsense.

Bottom line -- Damar Hamlin was at the Bills game.

Josh Allen's girlfriend is proud of her man despite the loss on Sunday -- saying the Bills quarterback is a "true leader," especially after everything the team went through this season.

Brittany Williams -- who started dating Allen in 2015 -- published a sweet note to her Instagram page on Monday ... a day after the Bills' 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"So proud of this man," the 25-year-old said. "You are the most amazing & selfless person I know."

"Through all the highs of this season and the many many trials of adversity your team faced, you remained the same & never wavered."

Some of those hardships the Bills experienced this season include the deadly snowstorm in Buffalo that killed more than 35 people, the racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 dead, the sudden passing of tight end Dawson Knox's brother ... and most recently, Damar Hamlin's medical emergency.

"A true leader," Williams continued.

"The story is already written. So much to be proud of. So much to be thankful for. Riding with you til the end 17!"

Allen -- the Bills' top pick of the 2018 NFL draft -- was only able to score one touchdown against the Bengals defense, which he gave a lot of credit to during his post-game interview.

"Obviously, you wanna win all of them," the 26-year-old said. "They had a good game plan. Credit to those guys. They came out and play hard."

"We just didn't have it today."

Damar Hamlin showed up for his guys in person Sunday -- the first time he's been back in a football stadium since his life-threatening injury ... and it was quite a moment to behold.

The free safety rolled into Highmark Stadium before kickoff, being escorted by security on a team cart ... where he seemed to be trying to lay low with a pair of shades on and a jacket as well. It became clear though, that DH was there -- and utter excitement filled the venue.

He was taken to a private suite, with cameras and reporters following him almost all the way through the door. Damar didn't really stop and chat much -- he seemed way more interested in locking down his bird's-eye view of the field and watching the Bills take the field.

Once he was situated and away from the frenzy, Damar did motion to the home crowd from his window. He was seen throwing up a heart sign gesture with his hands and also hyped up the spectators ... who were roaring for him. The broadcasters found it touching too.

This is an especially big day for Buffalo. They're facing the Bengals -- the same team they were playing a few weeks when Damar went into cardiac arrest following a hard hit after a routine play ... which sent the game into an indefinite pause before it was scrapped.

Both teams have continued to play well since, and now ... they're meeting up once again. The Bills are currently down by double digits, but there's still a fair amount of time left.

Don't be shocked if Cincinnati upsets Buffalo in their playoff game this weekend ... ex-NFL star T.J. Houshmandzadeh tells TMZ Sports he's confident his former squad will get the dub on Sunday!!!

The ex-Cincy wideout broke it down for us at LAX this week -- right after Joe Burrow and the guys beat the Baltimore Ravens in their Wild Card matchup last weekend.

"I like the Bengals' chances," he said.

The 45-year-old former Pro Bowler explained that with the way the Bengals looked against the Bills during their brief "Monday Night Football" contest earlier this month -- he's giving the edge to Cincinnati heading into the big AFC Divisional Round game.

"The way that regular-season game was going," he said, "I like the Bengals' chances."

Of course, the experts in Vegas disagree -- calling the Bills a 5.5-point favorite.

We also talked about the matchup with Houshmandzadeh's former Bengals teammate, Chad Johnson, at the L.A. airport -- and while he didn't seem as sure as his pal did about the outcome of the game, he didn't exactly pick Buffalo either.

"I think it comes down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes," Ochocinco said. "And, the offense that executes the best."

The Buffalo Bills were surprised with special gifts in honor of Damar Hamlin ahead of their playoff game against the Bengals ... receiving "3" pendants for the entire team.

Von Miller -- whose season ended prematurely after he tore his ACL on Thanksgiving Day -- showed off the new jewelry on social media ... and the team is clearly pumped about the gesture.

NYC-based jeweler Gabriel Jacobs of Rafaello and Co. gifted 80 pendants to the team and Damar's family ... which feature a 2.5-inch, 14k gold #3 and a heart.

We're told Damar will be getting his very own customized pendant ... which will also feature diamonds.

The backs of each pendant feature one of Hamlin's viral quotes -- "If you get a chance to show some love today do it! It won’t cost you nothing."

Jacobs explained his decision to gift the pendants ... saying, "Like many others, when I saw what happened to Damar Hamlin, I couldn’t help but feel connected thinking that this could happen to a family member of mine."

"I was extremely moved by all the outpouring of love and donations that came from all across the world. Being a jeweler, I wanted to give back in my own way by gifting these pendants as a way for the Buffalo Bills team to continue to honor Hamlin."

24-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on Monday Night Football ... a moment that shook the sports world.

Hamlin was since released from the hospital after spending time in the ICU ... and head coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday the Bills safety has been at the practice facility "almost daily."

McDermott said Hamlin is still taking things day by day ... and is trying to get back into a routine suitable for his current stage in recovery.

Stefon Diggs might have a job in commentary after his NFL career -- but not necessarily calling football games -- the Bills star did some impromptu play-by-play on social media during the first Power Slap event, and it was hilarious!!

The 3x Pro Bowl receiver was flipping through the channels Wednesday night when he turned on Dana White's new Power Slap event on TBS ... and Diggs was in complete and utter shock as he watched Kortney Olson and Sheena Bathory slap the crap out of each other.

"Nah, this some crazy s**t right here," Diggs, as he lay in bed watching, said in a video he posted to social media, adding, "they right here smacking the s**t out of each other. Watch this right there... Ohhh! My gosh!"

In fairness to Diggs, what he was watching was actually insane ... Olson was KO'd with a massive slap from Bathory and the doctors called the fight.

"Oh s**t!" Diggs said watching the knockout, "Oh my gosh!"

Diggs also watched Jon Kennedy getting KO'd by Wesley Drain ... and hilariously dropped a famous quote from the iconic movie, "Friday," when Deebo knocks Craig down.

"Get up Craig! Get up, Craig!" Diggs yelled, "Get up! Get up, Craig!"

Of course, Diggs has somewhere to be on Sunday ... his Bills squad will play the Bengals in the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.

Damar Hamlin is continuing to make huge strides in his road to recovery ... Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the defensive back is now at Buffalo's practice facility "almost daily," and nearing a return to team meetings and more.

McDermott provided the good news in a Wednesday chat with media members ... saying Hamlin has recovered enough from his medical emergency two and a half weeks ago to the point where he's now "just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine."

"It's limited just overall," the Bills' head man said ... explaining Hamlin isn't quite ready for meetings or a full day of work just yet. "Just getting himself acclimated again and taking it one step, one baby step at a time here."

As we reported, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Jan. 2 during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game ... but has steadily improved over the last couple weeks.

He's been up, walking and talking ... though he's yet to attend a Bills game since his release from the hospital. But, he's watched his teammates intently from home, even tweeting his thoughts on Buffalo's playoff game against the Dolphins last Sunday throughout the contest.

It's not yet clear if he'll make it to the sidelines to catch the Bills' huge playoff game against Cincinnati on Sunday ... McDermott stressed it's a day-by-day process for the 24-year-old.