Pittsburgh Player Criticized Over CPR Celebration 6 Days After Hamlin Incident
This week was a tough one for football fans in America, as their often violent game served as a reminder about life and death and the power of prayer.
On Monday, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field on national television. Hamlin had just tackled Tee Higgins, and then suffered a terrifying and sudden cardiac arrest. For nearly 10 minutes, first responders worked to revive Hamlin, and the game itself was abandoned after the defensive player was transported to a local hospital.
Now, just six days later, a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers is being criticized after performing faux-CPR during a sack celebration.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns, 28-14, on Sunday to finish the 2022 regular season with a winning record but will miss the playoffs after a run in the latter half of the year.
A particular play during the Steelers’ win over the Browns drew the ire of fans. With about 39 seconds remaining in the game, Pittsburgh linebacker Alex Highsmith sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. As Highsmith was on his back, another Steelers player came over and appeared to deliver CPR as part of his celebration with the defensive player.
Video of the incident was being shared on social media.
Alex Highsmith disgusting celebration mocking Damar Hamlin pic.twitter.com/xJ9nCZFR2D
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Hamlin’s condition continues to improve, and doctors have suggested that the Buffalo player is “neurologically intact”, which is remarkable given just how long his resuscitation took.