The harrowing sight of Damar Hamlin — the 24-year-old safety for the Buffalo Bills — collapsing after being involved in a tackle on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, on what appeared to be a routine play, will be the lasting image of the 2022-23 NFL season.
Football is a violent sport, one that comes with an inherent risk of injury, but most people don’t imagine seeing a life-altering tragedy in real time, in part because it seldom happens to young men in the physical prime of their lives. Despite the game’s danger, Frederick “Chuck” Hughes, a former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, is believed to be the only NFL player to die on the football field. Hughes was 28 when he passed away during week six of the 1971 NFL season. Read more.
