The ambulance that was carrying wounded Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin was slowly taken off the playing field of Cincinnati Monday night, a group of team members and players were seated in an small circle in the middle of the field. They bow their heads with some placing their hands upon each other's shoulders and some with tears falling down their faces in an act of prayer that was spontaneously which was led by the team's Chaplain Len Vanden BOS. The quiet crowd in Paycor Stadium burst into applause when the players kneeled and again when they stood.

The first prayer was one of the many during an incredible display of public piety that's unfolded across the country throughout the past few days following Mr. Hamlin's death following what appeared to be an ordinary collision in the early stages of the game. He. Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in the field and was listed as in critical condition in the late hours of Wednesday night University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The team reported that that he was showing indications of improvement.

The prayers offered to the young man of 24 have gone above the standard "thoughts or prayers" that are often given by celebrities following the tragedy. The outpourings reveal that Christian faith is closely linked to American football culture and tied to the sport by its popularity within The Bible Belt. It is a stronger bond due to the friendship of the players whose potential of physical injury for the sport that is high-impact has drawn more attention in recent times.

The video went viral online, showing Bengals fans singing The Lord's Prayer in the stands. The Lord's Prayer was recited on ESPN this Tuesday anchor Dan Orlovsky, a former N.F.L. quarterback, informed his colleagues on live television that "it's only in my heart that I'd like to be praying." While bowing the head, closing his eyes Orlovsky did just that.

"God We come to you in these times we are unable to comprehend," he said. "I am a believer in praying We believe in prayer and we pray Damar Hamlin's name to you in Your name." The anchors mumbled, "Amen."

"Please ask God to pray for the brother we love," the Bills' quarterback, Josh Allen, wrote on Twitter on which coaches and players across the league also shared similar messages. The 32 N.F.L. teams altered their Twitter profile photos with a message saying "PRAY for DAMAR," in the fashion like Mr. Hamlin's blue uniform. Fans gathered for prayers at the entrance to the hospital Cincinnati and in front of Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, in which Jill Kelly, the wife of the former Bills coach Jim Kelly, led a crowd of people in prayers.

"I believe we all need to be aware of how powerful prayer can be coming from players, coaches, team and the fans who were in the stadium and also the viewers from all over the world." Troy Vincent, the executive vice-president of football operations for the N.F.L., told reporters Wednesday afternoon. "There is power in praying."

For outsiders, the fervor of these pious acts may have appeared to be a surprise and a rare expression of faith in a culture that was becoming increasingly secular. To those who observed the close ties to Christianity as well as American soccer, these calls to pray were not unusual.

"It's one of many examples observing publicly an aspect of the Christian subculture that's been present into the N.F.L. for over four years," said Paul Putz who is the vice-director of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor University. "Since around the year 1970, it's been almost similar characteristics to its own church."

More information on Damar Hamlin's Collapse

- N.F.L.'s Violent spectacle :The appetite for football has never been more intense even as people are able to see past the pain the sport inflicts on the lives of players. Damar Hamlin's death should trigger an examination the way we view football, writes our columnist.

- The city of Buffalo:The Bills have given the city a much-needed break from the stress of the year. The shell of simple pleasure has been broken.

- Scheduling Scenarios :How will the N.F.L. solve the game between Bills and Bengals that was halted following the injury? It is possible for the league to resolve this issue. variety of alternatives.

- ESPN's CoverageWithin hours of. Hamlin's fall the sports channel changed from being a channel for football games to being the focal point of an important news event.

The majority of Christian organizations that are part of the N.F.L. are associated with the evangelical tradition, however the league's religion isn't necessarily conservative.

Partly due to the N.F.L.'s multiracial nature The evangelicalism of the league the league is "less concerned about culture wars and more focused on applying the Bible that is understood as an alternative to an evangelical view, on the real requirements of players -sports performance wedding and family life and handling setbacks and injuries," Mr. Putz stated.

American sport culture has been sprayed through with hyperlinks to Christian organisations and manifestations of Christian faith such as pointing up to express gratitude to God following a successful play to thanking Him for a victory during a post-game interview.

However, even in that setting football stands out. One case involves a high school football coach whose habit of praying in the field following matches was heard by the Supreme Court last year. ("It was just logical to perform it in the midst or in battle,"" his coach said to The New York Times of his devotion to the practice even at the expense the job.)

Former N.F.L. player Tim Tebow -- now one of many ex-N.F.L. players who speak frequently at Christian gatherings and churcheswas famous for dropping his knees while bowing down down the field, a gesture that came to be known as "Tebowing."

"The N.F.L. has been extremely flexible and open to the faith of many years," said Jason Romano director of media for Sports Spectrum, a publication that focuses on the intersection between sport with Christian faith.

"God has been preparing an event similar to this one to happen," Mr. Romano declared, stressing that he didn't believe that God created the cause of Mr. Hamlin's injuries however, rather an outpouring of Christian prayer to respond to the incident showed an ethos of faith that has been forming within the league for a long time.

Following each game, he emphasized the players of both teams are required to kneel at the 50-yard mark for an offering of prayers, a custom that began in the year 1990 following an argument that erupted on Tuesday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants.

N.F.L. teams are governed by chaplains, usually connected to evangelical Christian groups; and players can participate in teams' Bible studies or chapel services prior to games. They also have an annual retreat, which is popular and organized through Pro Athletes Outreach, an evangelical organization.

For many athletes they find the help of their team chaplains is "an oasis for us, similar to an oasis in the desert" recalls Vincent Rey of his time as an former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker. The team's Chaplain.

He was in the stadium on Monday, and was able to get down the stands to join the team. His wife was with the players wife and girls.

Mr. Rey's work as a chaplain is not so than dramatic. He hosts weekly Bible class for athletes, and a chapel service prior to games, assists players individually and hosts couples a night-time gathering in which he and his wife conduct the conversation about "Draw Close" an annual Christian devotional which focuses on the marriage.

The institution's culture suggests prayers are a normal response in the aftermath of a traumatizing event such as Mr. Hamlin's injuries.

Prayer in public can be "a muscle twitch that people attend," said Marcia Mount Shoop who is a pastor in North Carolina whose husband was an N.F.L. player for 12 years.

"It's not considered to be an indication of weakness since it's been for a long time associated with the masculine," said Rev. Mount Shoop, the author of "Touchdowns for Jesus and Other Signs of Apocalypse" Removing the Veil on Big-Time Sports."

"It's often performed by men of strength and size who, in just a few minutes will be taking off the crap from everyone," she said.

He. Hamlin graduated from a Catholic high school in Pittsburgh and has spoken a few times about his convictions. "I believe that it's God calling my soul," he told an interviewer in 2021 when referring to his work for charity. "I truly believe that's my goal. This is why God put my name here."

Brian Tome, a former high school football player as well as a Bengals fan who watched the game from home on Monday night. What did he notice, he explained that was the way in which television commentators struggled to find words as they switched from covering a final-season game to the outpouring of rage and sadness over an urgent medical situation.

"America has seen people being compassionate," said Mr. Tome his pastor at Crossroads Church, with locations in Cincinnati and across the country. "These instances of crisis bring things out that are very positive."

Just a mile away far from University of Cincinnati Medical Center in which the patient. Hamlin remained sedated and critically ill The man. Tome hosted a community prayer gathering in his church for the Mr. Hamlin on Tuesday.

"We aren't able to be part of the medical procedure," he told the gathering of around 100, with hundreds watching the event on the internet. "But we can take part in prayers."

For former players, the accident served as a reminder of the nature of the sport's risks -- for a few players, it was a factor that made them believe in an unassailable power.

Bill Curry, a longtime college football coach who played 10 seasons with the N.F.L. during the 1960s and 1970s and said that the sport of football is distinctive in the sense that players depend on each other to achieve success as well as physical security.

"Football is among the sports that have to include every player in every single game," he said.

He was. Curry was driven off the field by the form of an ambulance back in after a knee injury caused him to retire from The Houston Oilers. He stated that prayer was a consistent source of inspiration for many players within the team.

"We were aware of the risks we took and knew that at any moment it could be that something happened," Mr. Curry declared. "We were macho however in our hearts of hearts, it was always"Lord, I'm in need of you to be with me. my by my side.'"

Ken Belson contributed to this report. Ken Belson was the author.
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