In January 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a Monday night game, one of the most terrifying scenes in American sports history.

Less than two years later, on Monday night, Hamlin made his first career interception, sending his teammates and the Bills home crowd into a frenzy.

The play occurred late in the second quarter of Buffalo’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Bills leading 20-3, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a downfield pass to first-and-10 targeting rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Instead, it found Hamlin, who intercepted the pass at the Buffalo 40-yard line and returned it 19 yards.

The crowd at Highmark Stadium erupted in cheers as Hamlin ran down the sideline to celebrate in the end zone with his fellow Bills defenders. He continued to receive accolades and congratulations from his teammates on the sideline.

It was a special moment for Hamlin, the Bills and the entire NFL community, who watched in horror on a Monday night in 2023, unsure whether Hamlin would survive. Hamlin not only survived, he is now thriving as an NFL starter.

After a lengthy recovery process, Hamlin returned to the Bills last season in a largely ceremonial role. He was scheduled to be on the roster for the 2023 season but played sparingly in a reserve role in five games, recording two tackles on the season.

Before Buffalo’s season opener on September 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced that Hamlin would return to the starting position he held before his cardiac arrest.

Hamlin has since started Buffalo’s first three games of the season, recording 14 tackles in two games before Monday’s game against Jacksonville. And how he’s throwing his first career interception on the same “Monday Night Football” broadcast that witnessed his terrifying on-field scene less than two years ago.