Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell says 'my door is open' for players to talk Damar Hamlin
Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before the start of the game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Giants 27-24. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - Kevin O’Connell reached for his cell phone to send a mass text to Minnesota Vikings players and coaches Monday night.
The football and sports world was shaken after Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field at Cincinnati in the first quarter, went into cardiac arrest and had to be revived on the field before heading to the hospital in an ambulance. The terrified looks of players on the field while first responders used an AED and CPR on Hamlin spoke to how dire the situation was.
"First and foremost, let them understand that I understand how hard that has to be to watch as an NFL player. Regardless of team, these guys all look at each other as part of one, as part of a brotherhood of playing in the NFL."
Hamlin remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, but has shown signs of improvement.
The Vikings have two direct connections to Hamline: Patrick Jones II and Harrison Phillips. Jones was a college teammate of Hamlin for five seasons at Pittsburgh. Phillips was a teammate of Hamlin last season with the Buffalo Bills before coming to Minnesota in free agency.
Jones was watching Monday Night Football as it happened.
"I just kept saying ‘He’s going to get up.’ I just saw how the whole thing played out and I just started praying for him and just thinking of his family and just keeping him in my prayers," Jones said. "We came in together, did five years at Pitt together, left together, got to play against each other, see each other. The only thing on my mind right now is just making sure my brother is OK and just keeping him and his family in my prayers."
Phillips was at the Timberwolves game Monday night when he heard about Hamlin. He left the game early, texted old teammates and tried to get any information he could.
"The scene was very hard to see. I got on my knees praying and tried to figure out what can you do? There’s really nothing to do other than trying to reach out to everyone you can and make sure they know they’re loved and bring as much support as you can," Phillips said.
He did his part by paying for a catered dinner Tuesday night for Hamlin’s family, Bills’ staff that stayed behind and all ICU doctors and nurses caring for Hamlin. He’s doing the same Wednesday night, with a Chipotle buffet.
O’Connell held a team meeting Wednesday morning at TCO Performance Center, and his message was consistent with Monday night: Seek help if you need it, and his door is open to talk.
"I think it’s really important that we understand not all players will deal with this the same. I’ve told our players multiple times since Monday, my door is open, come talk to me. Talk to the resources you have available," O’Connell said. "I think it’s just important to provide as much as we can for our players while also being very aware and understanding of where they’re at from a mental and emotional standpoint. Whatever they need that we can actually provide and help, I want that to be readily available to them."
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was watching the game when Hamlin’s hit on Tee Higgins happened. He says he went to bed with a heavy heart, and the first thing he did Tuesday morning was ask his wife to check the internet for an update.
Hamlin was at the forefront of pretty much everything the Vikings did at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday.
"It’s been the first thing addressed in each meeting that we’ve had, whether it was a position meeting, a team meeting, an offense meeting. I think that was important, it’s very much on the forefront of people’s minds," Cousins said.
That, and the instant response of trainers and first responders to revive Hamlin.
"You think of playing quarterback in professional football as a high-pressure job, but I thought of the medical professionals who are addressing the situation on the field Monday night. That’s a whole another definition of it, just praying for his full healing and recovery," Cousins said.
The unfortunate but very real circumstance is that six days removed from tragedy, the Vikings will take the field Sunday in the regular season finale against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Playing football seems secondary, but Week 18 is on as scheduled and playoff seeds are on the line.
The first snap on Sunday will be the most stressful and scariest many players have had in their careers, after Hamlin went down on what looked like a routine tackle.
"It’s been an incredibly tough 36 hours for our league. Everyone in our building is constantly having Damar on their minds and continuing to pray and put our thoughts to hopefully some good news in his full recovery," O’Connell said. "Any time something like that happens, it’s so rare in our league but it puts a lot of things in perspective about what these players risk when they go step in between the white lines and the love they have of this game and what it means to them to be teammates."