As NFL Prays for Damar Hamlin, Widow of Athlete Who Died Playing Football Reminisces “Emotional” Past

The wife of the late NFL player Chuck Hughes’s wife recalled the traumatic past after watching the shocking collapse of Bills Safety Damar Hamlin. Sharon Hughes, now 77, recalls the fateful day in 1971 when her husband had collapsed on the field. In similar fashion to Hamlin’s sudden collapse, Chuck Hughes had also suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. Sharron stayed up all night after hearing about Damar Hamlin. Praying. Hoping. Hoping that history wouldn’t repeat itself. Hoping that Damar would pull through. She waited with bated breath to hear about any and all updates about Hamlin. “I was very emotional,” Hughes said in an interview with NBC News. 

The Chuck Hughes Story

Chuck played as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. In a home game on 24th October 1971, vs the Chicago Bears, Chuck would suddenly collapse on the field, leaving the entire arena in shock. He had suffered a cardiac arrest, caused by a blood clot that had been dislodged following a tackle. Unbeknownst to Chuck, he had suffered from a heart attack not 7 weeks prior to the fateful day caused by an underlying heart disease. Chuck was administered CPR but did not respond to it. Sharron recalls looking at the situation as the audience would watch on in horror. Chuck was taken off the field on a stretcher, as the gravity of the situation dawned on everyone in attendance. 

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Former Bears defensive end Ed O’Bradovich spoke about the 1971 incident to the Detroit Free Press in 2021. “I knew something horrible had happened, because when they were rolling Chuck off the field, one of his arms fell down and his hand was flopping around back and forth, and I thought to myself, ‘Holy Christ, I think he’s dead,'” Bradovich said in his interview.

Sharron vividly remembers the ambulance ride to the hospital, just as Hamlin’s parents had to. “Can you imagine how his mother felt? Its a horrifying feeling, and, well, I just felt so sorry for the whole family last night”, Sharron would empathise in her interview. 

Damar Hamlin’s Condition remains stable

The NFL world is still reeling from the shock of Damar Hamlin’s sudden collapse in the Buffalo Bills week 17 game vs the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin, only 24, collapsed in a scary sight but has since remained stable. Hamlin has received an outpouring of support from family, fans and players across the association. He continues to fight as he finally gained consciousness on Thursday Night. The NFL issued a statement that is shared on its website. They stated that the league has been in regular contact with the medical team treating Hamlin and also the teams and players association. 

The league cancelled the Bills-Bengals game following the developments in and severity of Hamlin’s condition.

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