NFL star Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital following a near-death experience during last week’s Monday Night Football game.

The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety was hospitalized last Monday after collapsing on the field just moments after tackling a Cincinnati Bengals player to the ground.

For a week, the footballer remained at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he relied on a breathing machine to stay alive and had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped.

Now, the safety announced that he was released from the medical center and that he was returning to his home state of New York.

He also explained that he will go to Buffalo General Hospital for additional monitoring and testing before he returns home.

“Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart. Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling,” the 24-year-old athlete tweeted.

“The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world n more. Bigger than football!”

In another tweet, Hamlin also thanked the staff at UCMC before saying he was happy to be back in Buffalo where he feels at home.

“Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC. Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home!” he added.

Confirming the footballer’s release was also Dr. William Knight of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who said Hamlin “is doing well and this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery.”

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