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Is Damien Harris OK? Buffalo Bills running back taken off field in ambulance during NY Giants game

Damien Harris, who was initially immobile for a few minutes, showed a thumbs-up to the anxious crowd before he was placed in the ambulance

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK: Buffalo Bills running back Damien Harris sustained a neck injury and had to be stretchered off the field in an ambulance during his match against New York Giants in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday, October 15.

Harris got injured after he was hit by Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke following taking a handoff during a third down play. Soon, the other players beckoned the medical staff to check on him.

The running back, who was initially immobile for a few minutes, showed a thumbs-up to the anxious crowd before he was placed in the ambulance, as per CBS News.

An update on his health status was later released by the Buffalo Bills, where they said, "Injury Update: Damien Harris (neck) is out for game. He has movement in his arms and legs. Harris is being taken to hospital for further testing."

As the game proceeded, the Bills clocked in a win against the Giants with a scoreline of 14-9.

Prayers pour in from fans over Damien Harris' injury

As soon as fans came to know about Damien Harris' injury, they thronged to social media spaces, especially X (formerly Twitter), to pray for his quick recovery.  

One said, "Thoughts and prayers for Damien Harris. Hoping for the best," while another noted, "The way his lower back looked upon impact is disturbing."

A fan wrote, "Hopefully it's just a stinger." 

"Look how his head/neck snapped back. Head or neck injury," noted a person, with one, expressing, "Hope he is okay! Never want to see a player go off in an ambulance." 

Harris' incident also reminded some fans of another Buffalo Bills player, Damar Hamlin, who sustained an injury in January.

One expressed, "Damar Hamlin, watching his Buffalo Bills teammate Damien Harris, w the same initials, being taken away in an ambulance. So tragic. I bet he’s having flashbacks. Gy, I wonder what could possibly cause such a thing. I’m sure it’s a all big ole coincidence." 

What happened to Damar Hamlin?

The Buffalo Bill safety Damar Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest right after tackling the Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during a January 2 match. His heartbeat was revived through CPR, and the player was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Doctors said that a hit to his chest might have caused the cardiac arrest, as per The New York Times.

After a nine-day stay at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin was taken to the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, where he stayed till January 11.

Thankfully, he made a full recovery and was soon able to join his teams in games. As per the Buffalo Bills website, Hamlin played in all three preseason games of 2023, finishing with the second-most number of tackles on the team.

He was marked as "Active" for the first time in the season during the October 1 Bills vs Miami Dolphins game. He was, however, marked "Inactive" during Sunday's game and became emotional when Harris was taken out of the field in an ambulance.