FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons coach Arthur Smith held an emotional meeting with the team to discuss Bills player Damar Hamlin’s situation before the Falcons returned to practice Wednesday.
Safety Erik Harris led the team discussion.
“It was about life or death,” Falcons outside linebacker Ade Ogundeji said. “It’s not about football. It’s about someone’s life being on the line. It was definitely emotional.”
Harris, 32, a backup safety and special teams player, prepared some words to open the discussion.
“After just thinking about it, praying and reading the (Bible) and everything, the title that I came up with is, ‘Don’t lose sight, it’s just a game,’” Harris said. “I kind of just went on to address the players. It was a message to the players. A message to the players to not lose sight of what we do and who we are as human beings.”
Smith used the regularly scheduled team meeting to discuss Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field Monday night against the Bengals.
Most of the players know the risk of injury in football is high.
“A lot of us get caught up in losing our identity in contracts, stats and accolades,” Harris said. “We chase the ‘what’ instead of the ‘why,’ and we lose sight of that. Fans as well.
“They forget that we are human beings because our platform is so large. It comes with the territory, but at the same time, it was cool to see that the fans have some empathy for us, saw that we were humans. Just everybody coming together in this crazy and shaken moment.”
Harris’ speech resonated with the team.
“He was really good,” Falcons Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom said. “Really thought out. That’s why you’re lucky to have guys like him around who really put in a lot of thought to everything. He’s been around a while. Tragic, though, and very scary.”
After the meeting, but before practice, Smith spoke to the media.
“We send our thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin, his family and the entire Bills organization,” Smith said. “We are praying for him. When you see something like that happen, obviously it puts a lot of things about life into perspective. Just wanted to make sure that the Bills know, Damar and his family know, that we are supporting them, thinking about them and praying for them.”
Smith was asked how he processed the events from the game.
“I can’t speak for any other coach,” Smith said. “I can only speak for myself. You process when you see something ... that out in the open that is traumatic. Everybody has got different ways that they deal with things. I don’t want to go into more detail about my private thoughts or things I addressed with the team. That’s just not who I am. Doesn’t make me any better or worse.”
Smith had no problem with addressing the state of the team in light of the Hamlin case as the Falcons are preparing to play Tampa Bay in the regular-season finale Sunday.
“You acknowledge life,” Smith said. “There is more to life than football. Sometimes it’s hard. You get so focused on your craft or your job, you lose perspective.
“It shouldn’t take something like this to make you think about perspective. Certainly, those are things you acknowledge and we talk about all the time.”
Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker, one of the hard-hitters on the team, doesn’t think of the risks in playing.
“But seeing something like this happen, you can’t do nothing but pray and hope that he’s going to be OK,” Walker said. “But it makes it so surreal for us.”
Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder was stunned by the heart attack.
“You think about those hits where a guy may get paralyzed, which is some of the worst things that we’ve seen happen on the field,” Ridder said. “You never really see something like this.”
The Falcons believe their game will be held as scheduled.
“From everything I’ve been told, we’re playing Sunday at 1 o’clock,” Smith said. “There are things you are privy to and things that you are not. When it came to this week, planning and what the schedule is going to be, that’s what you ask. Everything that I’ve been told, we’re playing Sunday at 1 o’clock.”
Support staff was available to the players.
“Whatever they need is always available,” Smith said.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Sensing that it was a pretty emotional team meeting that the #Falcons had today to return to practice. pic.twitter.com/Pqjoyc4uMx
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) January 4, 2023
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Atlanta Falcons 2022 schedule
Sept. 11 Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18 Rams 31, Falcons 27
Sept. 25 Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Oct. 2 Falcons 23, Browns 20
Oct. 9 Buccaneers 21, Falcons 15
Oct. 16 Falcons 28, 49ers 14
Oct. 23 Bengals 35, Falcons 17
Oct. 30 Falcons 37, Panthers 34 OT
Nov. 6 Chargers 20, Falcons 17
Nov. 10 Panthers 25, Falcons 15
Nov. 20 Falcons 27, Bears 24
Nov. 27 Commanders 19, Falcons 13
Dec. 4 Steelers 19, Falcons 16
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 Saints 21, Falcons 18
Dec. 24 Ravens 17, Falcons 9
Jan. 1 Falcons 20, Cardinals 19
Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
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