Denny Kellington is getting the credit he deserves for his vital response to Damar Hamlin

Thursday brought news the sports world was waiting to hear regarding the health of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. According to the team, the Bills safety has shown “remarkable improvement” over the past 24 hours, and according to doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin “appears to be neurologically intact.” the team also reported that Hamlin’s lungs were “beginning to heal,” which is notable as Hamlin had been on a ventilator and sedated since being transported to UCMC.

Kaiir Elam, a teammate of Hamlin’s, shared on social media that Hamlin was “awake” and “showing more signs of improvement.” Furthermore, Hamlin has reacted to people around him, and has been gripping the hands of those in the room with him.

Hamlin remains “critically ill” according to the Bills, but his improvement is a fantastic sign for his recovery.

Another development regarding Hamlin’s situation concerns what happened after he collapsed on Monday night. According to reporting from Albert Breer, Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington administered CPR to Hamlin on the field, and his response was deemed “vital.”

Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins elaborated on Kellington’s response.

One of the many developments in the aftermath of Hamlin’s medical emergency is the increased awareness of athletic trainers — given the combined response to his collapse from both the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals — as well as the importance of CPR training. According to the Center for Disease Control, if CPR is administered within the “first few minutes of cardiac arrest” it can “double or triple a person’s chance of survival.”

During a press conference on Thursday at UCMC, Dr. William Knight IV credited the response from the Bills’ training staff:

Given Hamlin’s improvement over the past 24 hours, it seems that Kellington’s quick response and heroic effort may indeed have been vital.