Players like Higgins and Boyd, who felt personally connected to Hamlin, needed to hear some good news before really being able to move forward. Both said it’s a little easier now to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Ravens knowing Hamlin is OK. Hamlin had collapsed after making a tackle on Higgins and took a blow to the chest in the process.
“Obviously, it’s been hard just because you know I had something to do with the play,” Higgins said Thursday. “Everyone has been making me feel whole again. I talked to his mom and everything is OK, he’s doing good, so I’m in a good place right now.”
Higgins had gotten to know Hamlin through Boyd, who grew up in the same Pittsburgh-area town as Hamlin. Boyd estimated he probably met Hamlin when he was 14 years old and Hamlin was 10, connecting initially because they came up through the same youth football league with the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association.
Boyd said when he was going into high school, the younger players like Hamlin looked up to him and he tried to be an example to them. As Boyd went off to college at the University of Pittsburgh and then into the NFL with the Bengals, he continued to stay in touch with Hamlin and the two became good friends. Hamlin followed his path to Pitt and was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
Hamlin helps out at Boyd’s camps back home, and that’s where Higgins met him as well.
“It’s been tough because Ham is one of my closest friends,” Boyd said. “I grew up with him, I’ve just been around him since we grew up. He’s like a brother to me and it just hurt for something like that to happen. It was very unfortunate, like one in a million (chance) for that to happen, and I just feel for his family. I’ve been able to go up there (to the hospital) and just try to bring them up in spirits, but they are strong and he is doing well so far, so we will just go from there. As long as he is good, I’m good.”
Boyd said Hamlin is usually the one keeping “people’s spirits up.”
“I kind of looked at him like myself,” Boyd said. “You know, he’s a very genuine person, outgoing, very, very friendly. He keeps the same mentality, same attitude, ... doesn’t get down. He just is a great guy to be around, and it was a guy that can pick people’s spirits up, a guy that you want in the locker room or to be in your friend circle. And just seeing that happen to a guy that’s been so good and been waiting his turn. He started playing heck of a football, and it’s just so unfortunate to see that happen to one of those guys who does everything right, you know, stays out of trouble and clean record and his parents have been around for him, helping him, it’s just so crazy.”
It's way bigger than a game ❤️3
— Tyler Boyd (@boutdat_23) January 3, 2023
Boyd said he doesn’t know if he could have played Sunday if Hamlin’s condition wasn’t improving. As soon as it became obvious something was seriously wrong Monday, he wanted to stand by his friend’s side. Boyd said he saw Hamlin fall but thought it was a normal football injury until he tried speaking to Hamlin and he didn’t respond.
Higgins thought Hamlin got bumped by another player after he stood up following the tackle.
“When I looked again, I saw what happened,” Higgins said. “So I just turned my head to try and not think about it because I know it was something crazy and something tragic. It was hard. Obviously, I wasn’t in a good place to play for the rest of that game so I’m kind of glad we chose not to play.”
Both Boyd and Higgins visited Hamlin and his family in the hospital. Hamlin’s mom told Higgins she was praying for him because she knew he felt guilty, and Boyd said everyone knew he wasn’t at fault.
According to reports, the Bengals and Bills won’t be finishing their game at all, but the league is still trying to figure out what to do about seeding and playoff scheduling. Boyd said the Bengals have to focus on the Ravens and then see how things shake out with the seeding.
“At the end of the day for me, it was kind of hard, you know,” Boyd said. “If I wouldn’t have got good news for him, you know, ain’t no telling how I would have took this week. I probably would have reacted a little differently because it’s more than the game to me. … Having a positive feedback on how he’s going with his days, he’s finally up and that’s what I’ve been getting. So now I kind of feel relieved to just go into this week and just figure out a way to just get the job done.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Ravens at Bengals, 1 p.m., Ch. 7, 12; 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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