The Great Read: He Nearly Died on the Football Field. Is That Why Everybody Loves Him?
Damar Hamlin’s heart stopped beating after a tackle on “Monday Night Football” in 2023. He wants to be known for more than that.
The New York Times
The Great Read

September 9, 2025, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

A man with dark braids, partly dyed orange, rests his chin in his hands and looks up pensively.

Hilary Swift for The New York Times

He Nearly Died on the Football Field. Is That Why Everybody Loves Him?

Damar Hamlin’s heart stopped beating after a tackle on “Monday Night Football” in 2023. He wants to be known for more than that.

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