Jessica Pegula said she “felt sick” watching the chilling scene involving Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday Night Football.
During the opening quarter between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin collapsed shortly after making a tackle on Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins.
CPR was administered on the field, and it was later reported that Hamlin went into cardiac arrest.
In moments like this we are reminded of perspective. It’s just a game and in the end it does not matter after what happened tonight. My prayers go out to Damar and his family. This team is family, football is family, sports bring us together like family🙏
— Jessie Pegula (@JLPegula) January 3, 2023
“I mean, it’s just terrible,” Pegula said. “Just terrible. Just terrible. There’s really no words. I’m glad they stopped the game. I think it brings you back to there’s a lot bigger things that are more important than sports.”
Pegula, the daughter of Bills owner Terry Pegula, is a passionate fan of Buffalo, which sits atop the AFC East and in contention to clinch the top seed in the conference when the playoffs begin.
But like so many athletes who showed grave concern Monday night, this incident puts sports into perspective.
“I’m glad they stopped the game,” Pegula said after admitting she was watching the game on her phone during teammate Frances Tiafoe’s match at the United Cup. “I’m glad they’re trying to go support him. But it was pretty scary. I don’t really know much else. Obviously it’s pretty frantic there right now.
Sending my prayers to Damar and his family❤️ I ‘m wishing him a full and safe recovery. It is bigger than sports… we should all continue to surround him and his family with prayer and positivity🙏🏾
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) January 3, 2023
“I felt sick. It was just terrible. I think everyone felt that way that was watching.”
As of Tuesday morning in the U.S., Hamlin remains in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital.