Hamlin, 24, was rushed to UC Medical Center where he remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit, though the team said he showed “remarkable improvement” over the past 24 hours and had awakened.
Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, described what happened Monday as “traumatic.”
Almost immediately after Hamlin’s collapse, the NFL Players Association and the league drew attention to mental health options available to players. The union tweeted: “ALL players: please reach out if you need someone to talk to. There are several resources available to you,” with a link to counseling options on the NFLPA website.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in a memo to all teams, said that each club had received information from Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti, the league’s vice president of wellness and clinical services, about mental health and support resources available to players and staff.
Lazzara, a former snipper in the Marines, said this time of year some people are already coping with the loss of loved ones during the holidays and trying to reacquaint themselves socially after being isolated during COVID-19. Instead of holding in your emotions, Lazzara recommended “talking about” your issues, first to family members, your primary care physician or mental health experts.
“Don’t hide it,” said Lazzara, who added the events on the field may remind people of their relatives receiving similar medical treatment. “Don’t sit on it. Talk about it. Now we need to communicate after COVID. This bizarre world has flip-flopped.”
He said there’s a big difference between watching horror movies that lead to nightmares and the mental stress after watching what transpired on the football field Monday night.
“This is real,” he said.
Lazzara said he’s thankful the game wasn’t resumed. It was evident by the expressions on the players’ faces and by the way they were weeping, holding hands and praying, they weren’t mentally prepared to continue competing.
He said it’s ironic that when a player suffers a physical injury, they can be placed on the Injured Reserve List, but the same precautions aren’t taken when a player suffers mental illness. He said if people don’t address their mental health concerns those “stresses can pop up later in life.”
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