Former NFL player and CNN reporter Coy Wire expressed his shock after the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“There didn’t seem to be a direct hit to the head or neck. His head didn’t even look like it had been hit too hard. So I can’t assume what kind of injury it might be,” Wire told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday.
Hamlin fell on his back on the field just moments after getting up after an open field tackle by Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Wire, who played nine seasons in the NFL and currently serves as a CNN sports anchor, said the collapse was shocking.
“I’ve never seen a reaction to a hit like that,” he said.
Visibly emotional, Wire noted that condolences should be extended to Hamlin’s family and loved ones.
“I’m trying to keep my composure for you because I think it’s important that we send out prayers, think of Damar, think of his family,” Wire told Cooper.
Wire also praised the NFL’s move to sit out the game following Hamlin’s collapse.
“I’m so proud that the NFL suspended the game because I don’t think that would have happened maybe 10 years ago,” he said. “With the importance placed on player safety these days, they stopped the game. I think that’s progress.”
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