AP Photo/Jeff Dean
Fans of the Bills and Bengals gathered together on Monday night to pray for the health of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in critical condition after he collapsed on the field during a game against the Bengals.
Heading into the day, the Bills and Bengals were rivals, both still contending for the top seed in the AFC with the NFL regular season soon coming to a close. But football quickly became an afterthought as the gravity of the situation on the field sunk in.
In the first quarter, Hamlin tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin got up after the hit briefly, before collapsing back to the turf.
He was treated by medical trainers that rushed in from the sidelines, and given CPR on the field for several minutes. Close to 30 minutes after he fell to the field, Hamlin arrived at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
When the game was officially postponed, some fans that had been at the stadium made their own way to the UC Medical Center to offer prayers and support for Hamlin from a distance.
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Fans in Bills jerseys and Bengals jerseys stood arm-in-arm hoping for Hamlin's recovery.
AP Photo/Jeff Dean
Signs and candles helped make a makeshift vigil for Hamlin throughout the night.
AP Photo/Jeff Dean
As the night wound past midnight, fans gathered for one more prayer outside UC Medical Center.
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The city of Cincinnati as a whole also showed its support for Hamlin, lighting the downtown skyline blue through the night.
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Elsewhere online, fans began donating to a toy drive Hamlin had been running, raising more than $3 million as of Tuesday morning.
