Sean McDermott deserves credit for emphasizing the Bills’ mental health

When asked what Hamelin’s devastation Resembles, Josh Allen said the Buffalo bills Security is the “happiest man”. Hamlin introduced NFL Fans are very happy with the word that he is communicating with doctors in writing and pressing his family’s hands.

Allen answered questions Thursday afternoon after Hamlin woke up from days of sedation following suffering a cardiac arrest during Billings-Bengals Monday night game.

It gives me immense pleasure to receive the news that Hamlin is getting better.

We’ve all learned a lot about Hamlin in the past few days. by all measure, He seems to be an exceptional personOne Overcame tremendous adversity in a tough neighborhood He was raised in Pennsylvania. Even as a 24-year-old junior, the youngster was already matured to emphasize what family meant to him.

“I’m big on my family unit,” Hamlin told Bills reporter Maddy. “My mom, dad, little brother — that’s pretty much my whole world… Anything else that happens in my life revolves around them.” Julep in December. “I really don’t do much without my mom and dad’s opinion, whether I take it or not. But I just want to hear that. That’s how I was raised.”

That’s a good head on his shoulders.

I will speak for myself and say that seeing Hamlin collapse in the field left me in awe. I had trouble sleeping Monday night and spent the week thinking about him – and tirelessly awaiting news of his condition. I know many in the NFL community felt the same way. So I can only imagine how his teammates feel. They know Hamlin. They are in the locker room with him every day. He’s definitely a close friend and – in some cases – like a brother to these Bills players.

Which is why I found Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s demeanor and decision-making impressive throughout the process.

It began following Hamlin’s live resuscitation on the field at Paycor Stadium on Monday before an ambulance took him to hospital.

“I should be in the hospital,” McDermott immediately told Bengals coach Zack Taylor. “I shouldn’t be coaching this game.”

McDermott knew his players needed to get off the field. The game cannot continue. And McDermott knew he needed to go to that hospital to be with Hamlin.

And these are exactly the right priorities.

While we don’t have much information in the hours and days that followed, we do know that McDermott and the Bills made sure mental health professionals were available to any players who needed help.

And again, these are exactly the right priorities.

Whether he was captaining McDermott or acting instinctively, Allen made sure his teammates were looked after, too. The QB opened his home and had his teammates to pray and decompress.

And so far, McDermott has been keen to stress that he needs to know when to take a break. He needed to know when to stop. and when to seek help.

It’s easy to bury yourself in your work. It’s easy to avoid, put off, and get sidetracked.

But that’s not what McDermott did. He took the initiative and made sure his players stopped to acknowledge and address the very difficult situation. And again, Allen did something similar.

“So many tears of joy,” Allen said.

But it’s not over yet. There is a long way for Hamelin to go. We hope he continues to improve and make a full recovery.

Football may seem more digestible at this very moment, because of the good news. But sure, it won’t be easy for the Bills to go about their daily routine with Hamlin’s recovery on their minds.

“There are some things we still need to talk about and get over,” Allen said Thursday.

In the coming days, the Bills have to play a home game in front of a crowd that will surely be a massive emotional crowd.

“It’s going to be very emotional on the court, and I think it’s not like anything we’ve seen before,” McDermott said. “And I think we’ll have to balance that.”

But you feel like the Bills are going to be just fine on Sunday — and in the weeks and months to come. And that’s because McDermott takes care of his players. He does what he can to take care of himself – making sure the players take care of themselves.

This is a great example of leadership.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an AFC East correspondent, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @employee.

---

---

---