Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin, Cincinnati Bengals' Tyler Boyd Share Special Bond

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, both from the Pittsburgh area, have formed a close bond with each other throughout their NFL careers.

When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during January's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati receiver Tyler Boyd watched on in horror.

Hamlin isn't just another NFL player to Boyd, but someone he thinks of like a brother. Both players grew up in the Pittsburgh area, played for the Pitt Panthers in college and eventually made their NFL dreams a reality. When Hamlin was down on the field, Boyd desperately tried to get closer to him and said "that's my guy" to Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

"Loyalty is one of the biggest things for me when I view a person and figure out how they are and just go about that way," Boyd told ESPN last month. "And he handled business the right way, man."

Hamlin holds up his signature heart hands sign during a preseason game in his hometown of Pittsburgh / © Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY

Hamlin says that Boyd, who is just over three years older than him, was an inspiration to kids in the Pittsburgh area as one of the few to reach the NFL.

"He was the person to watch," Hamlin told ESPN. "He was the first one really setting the example in the city for my generation coming up. So, throughout little league you heard about Tyler Boyd."

Boyd had already left for the NFL when Hamlin arrived at Pitt, but the star receiver occasionally came back to share some poignant advice. Once the pandemic hit, the two began spending far more time together and formed an even deeper connection.

"We spent our whole entire COVID session together," Hamlin said. "Working out every day together. Having fun together. From there, we just kind of stayed around each other. We spent a lot of time together in the offseason."

Hamlin's bond with Boyd has now led him to make similar connections with fellow Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, whom Hamlin tackled on the play he went down. After Hamlin had recovered, the four players went on an offseason trip to Cabo and enjoyed each other's company.

"That was my first time hanging with him," Chase told ESPN. "We were happy to see him playing football again and, you know, being the same person he's back to now."

The two close friends will meet again when the Bengals host the Bills on Sunday night. For both players, and everyone else in the building, Hamlin's return will have no shortage of emotions.

"It's going to be very inspirational," Boyd said. "We're playing exactly where we left [off]. We're playing at home. I know the fans are going to cheer for him.

"It's going to be a greater feeling just being able to compete against him in a full game. That's what we wanted. We always talked about that."