Damar Hamlin Practices for First Time Since On-Field Cardiac Arrest: 'An Amazing Story'

The 25-year-old NFL star practiced with his Buffalo Bills teammates Tuesday for the first time since he collapsed in January

Damar Hamlin was back on the practice field Tuesday afternoon, five months after he suffered cardiac arrest and suddenly collapsed during a Monday Night Football game.

Hamlin, 25, wrote on Instagram that he felt “blessed” to be back in a Buffalo Bills helmet and practicing with his teammates.

“This is what a prayer outcome looks like,” the Bills safety wrote alongside a photo of him in his practice gear. “I’m just so thankful. I’m blessed. I’m happy to be able to do what I love again that I just always wanna say thank you every chance I get.”

Hamlin’s mid-game collapse in early January shocked the sports world, who followed along on live TV and on social media while waiting to hear whether the Pittsburgh area native had survived the frightening incident.

Hamlin received CPR and other immediate medical attention from the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals medical teams and later recovered from critical condition after spending nine days in the hospital.

Doctors later determined the incident was caused by commotio cordis, which is "a rare cardiac arrest immediately following a blow to the chest" that "induces a potentially lethal heart rhythm disturbance, or arrhythmia, called ventricular fibrillation."

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Hamlin announced in April he was “fully cleared” to play football again and then last month said he was “getting stronger” throughout his recovery.

And Tuesday, Hamlin finally joined his teammates and coaches on the field again for a full practice — pads and all.

Related: Damar Hamlin on His Recovery From Cardiac Arrest: 'Physically, I'm Getting Stronger' (Exclusive)

Brandon Beane, the Bills’ general manager, said he was “thrilled for him, all the people that have been around him, and it’s an amazing story.”

“Really proud of him to take that next step,” Beane said, according to CNN. “He’s still got more milestones to hit, but to think back, we’re just at the beginning of June and that was the beginning of January, and we were just hoping he’d live, and now he’s not only got a normal life, but we’re talking about playing, not any football, NFL football.”

Related: Damar Hamlin Reveals Cause of His Cardiac Arrest: 'Leading Cause of Death in Youth Athletes'

Beane added the next step for Hamlin is to take part in tackling and blocking.

Since his cardiac arrest, Hamlin became one of the most influential figures in sports as he emotionally returned to stand on the sidelines with his Buffalo teammates during the NFL playoffs. He also made a speech at the NFL Honors awards telling the audience he found a newfound "purpose greater than any game in this world" to raise awareness about heart health.

He later spoke in front of Congress in support of the Access to AEDs Act, a potential law that would place more defibrillators in schools, and has worked with the American Heart Association.

"This is just a game but you learn so much about life through football,” Hamlin wrote on social media after his return to practice. “To go through my situation & still be able to play the game you love is just…….[It’s a long road] ahead. We just getting [started] tho!”

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