The 24-year-old has dealt with adversity at every stage of his football career. He’s handled it admirably, elevating himself from special teams ace at Pittsburgh to starting-caliber player in Buffalo.

Off the field, Hamlin has turned into quite the young man. He’s channeled the anxieties that he suffered as a youth to try to improve the lives of children across his hometown of Pittsburgh.

Hamlin is fighting for his life at the moment. The Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest after colliding with Tee Higgins on Monday night and is currently listed in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital.

However, his voyage to the league has made a real imprint, with numerous athletes sending well wishes to the man called a “kind, caring, extremely hard worker” by Bills teammate Rodger Saffold.

MORE: Latest updates on Damar Hamlin

Here’s everything you need to know about Hamlin and his trek to the NFL:

Who is Damar Hamlin?

Born and raised in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, Hamlin spent much of his childhood evading the pitfalls that come with living in communities ravaged by systemic inequality.

Hamlin’s father was imprisoned on drug selling charges when Hamlin was just a boy, thrusting Damar into adulthood. Still just an adolescent, Hamlin would take the bus to school, practice in the afternoon, return home for a quick bite to eat, then head to his mother’s self-owned daycare. The mother-son duo would then traverse to the office cleaning business she and his father started prior to his arrest.

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“Wednesdays were always the longest day,” Hamlin told Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Sal Maiorana in 2021. “My mom would be working at the daycare from 6 in the morning till 6 at night and then we would go clean our accounts until like 10 or 12 depending on the day. Just stepping up to the plate, just being there for my mom, just trying to make it easy for her. I had that work ethic in me, that we’re like, nothing can ever be too much.”

If pressure makes diamonds, Hamlin was a gem. He made waves at Pittsburgh’s Central Catholic High School, where Hamlin’s parents enrolled him in to help him escape the struggles of his hometown.

“There were times where I could have steered left or steered right but my parents were always there to straighten me out and get me back on the track,” Hamlin said. “I’ve got to give out a credit to them, it really had nothing to do with me. The only thing I had to do was just listen and that’s the type of kid I was.”

MORE: Damar Hamlin’s charity has received millions in donations since Bills-Bengals suspension

Damar Hamlin high school and college

Hamlin made waves at CCHS, growing into a rangy defender capable of shutting down the opposition’s biggest threat. As a senior, Hamlin captured the Class AAAA Defensive Player of the Year award.

He was ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania, per 247Sports, and received a plethora of scholarship offers.

But there was only one place for him: University of Pittsburgh, a stone’s throw from his hometown.

“I was just so Pittsburgh. Everything was Pittsburgh for me,” Hamlin told Point Park Globe’s Antonio Rosetti in 2021. “I wanted to give my city bragging rights, bring my city something and just give the city another reason to smile.”

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All the while, Hamlin made big play after big play on special teams, a trait that attracted Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who made Hamlin Buffalo’s sixth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Hamlin had his work cut out for him, anchored to the bottom of the depth chart behind stars like Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. He made an impression on Bills staff, though. And after Hyde went down with a neck injury in Week 2 of this season, Hamlin became a starter.

He impressed during his time on the field, racking up 91 tackles, two pass deflections and a forced fumble in 2022.

MORE: ESPN’s Ryan Clark praised for ’empathy and humanity’ in wake of Damar Hamlin collapse

While Hamlin’s star grew brighter on the gridiron, he remained tethered to his McKees Rocks roots.

While at Pitt, Hamlin started an online fundraiser aimed at buying toys for kids in his neighborhood who had their lives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The charity listed its goal at $2,500. As of Jan. 3, it has raised more than $4 million.

“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” Hamlin wrote on the fundraiser page.

You can donate to the initiative by following this link.