Indiana Colts player says Damar Hamlin knew 'dream' of being NFL star 'comes ... trends now

Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney McLeod Jr has said playing in the NFL is a 'dream' -  but it should never be at the 'expense of anyone's life.'

McLeod Jr, 32, admitted that playing the sport comes with 'great sacrifice' after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.

He added that while most players have become made peace with suffering painful injuries such as broken bones or torn muscles, losing your life is not something that should be accepted as the norm.

Hamlin was immediately rushed to the hospital after being administered CPR on the field while surrounded by his horrified teammates.

He is currently in critical condition in hospital, with the sporting world left shocked by his sudden deterioration after landing a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgens.

The Colts player believes that Hamlin would have known the risks that come with playing at the highest level of the sport.

McLeod Jr told CNN: 'For us, the dream is real. Even though we understand the dream comes with great sacrifice, we never want that sacrifice to be paid from the expense of anyone's life.

'As players, injuries are always our deepest fear. ... But often, you know, we tend to try to remove any of those thoughts the moment we hit the field.

'We've become very numb to it, unfortunately. What we saw last night was something that we've never have seen before. In my 11 years in the NFL, I never experienced anything like that, and that brings the reality [of] the sport to life.'

Bills players were visibly stunned as their teammate received life-saving treatment on the field, with McLeod praising their quick reactions.

He added that the NFL handled the situation well, saying: 'I think they did a very good job. They put the concern of their players first.

'The teams were not in the state of mind to be able to finish that game.'

Close friend and family rep Jordon Rooney told Good Morning America that the NFL star is a 'fighter,' but his family is 'worried'. 

Hamlin's family were at the game when he collapsed and his mother Nina traveled with him to hospital in the ambulance.

The Buffalo Bills safety, who has set up charity toy drives to raise money for his local community, had tackled Bengals receiver Tee Higgens in the first quarter of the pivotal Monday night game.

He managed to get up briefly before falling backwards to the ground and laying motionless as an outpouring of support flooded in for the young player.

Bills fans and Bengals fans have both gathered on a corner about a block from the hospital's emergency room after the incident took place.

Rooney added that his vitals are 'back to normal' and are running tests on Hamlin to see what caused the sudden collapse.

On the play the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, which hit the defensive back in the chest.

Hamlin, who earns a base salary of $825,000, then wrapped his arms around Higgins' shoulders and helmet to drag him down.

The Bills player managed to get to his feet, adjusted his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

He was surrounded by players from both sides and treated for 16 minutes before being immobilized and taken off the field.

While medical personnel were gathered around Hamlin, his playing uniform was cut off and was given oxygen. 

Players on both teams were visibly stunned by what had happened and many were in tears on the field.

Many players embraced, including quarterbacks Buffalo's Josh Allen and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow. The game was postponed by the NFL.

Higgens, the player who was tackled by Hamlin, led the outpouring of well wishes for the young player, tweeting that he 'prays Hamlin will pull through' as the player remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

He said: 'My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIslandthe Hamlin Family. I'm praying that you pull through bro. Love.'

The Bills later tweeted: 'Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals.

'His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.'

Bills players were visibly upset and praying for their teammate after he was driven away by the ambulance.

Hamlin is incredibly close to his family - and footage from November 20 shows the player greeting his family and hugging his mom before Buffalo's win over Cleveland.

His agent Ira Turner told NFL Network: 'Please continue to pray for Damar and his family. We currently have no update at this time. Will ask that you keep the family in your prayers.'

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