Coming back as the Comeback Player of the Year winner, Flutie stated, “it kind of established and validated me            being back in the NFL.” “That’s how I kind of saw it. Being acknowledged was an extremely flattering experience. I believe it’s critical to recognise men who overcome hardship in order to succeed. It’s more of a reward for resilience. You may view it as guys who just won’t give up sometimes.”

Of course, nobody would have blamed Hamlin for quitting his active career after he went into cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023. He instead performed well enough during training camp and the preseason this past summer to earn a spot on Buffalo’s 53-man roster, and he appeared in five regular-season games and a pair of playoff contests.

The Pro Football Writers of America voted Hamlin their Comeback Player of the Year Award winner last month.

“… That night brought it back to reality, that these guys have their own lives and families and wives and kids and I think it changes a little bit the perspective of a regular fan looking at a player and saying, ‘Oh, he is just a player,'” Flutie said about the events of Jan. 2, 2023. “No, all of a sudden it became personal and it was the reality of it.”

Assuming Hamlin hasn’t played the final down of his career, Thursday night should represent just another chapter of what’s become one of the most positive sports stories in recent memory.