Damar Hamlin

After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during an NFL game in early 2023—his life hanging in the balance before millions of horrified television viewers, until emergency responders saved him—he resolved not only to play football again, but also to make a name in public health. Within months of his recovery, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby on behalf of the Access to AEDs Act, which ensured government funds to supply elementary and secondary schools with Automated External Defibrillators. He also fought for the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which was signed into federal law in December, equipping all schools in the U.S. with cardiac-emergency response plans. “Every year, as many as 23,000 kids experience cardiac arrest in our country, and I believe that every one of them deserves the same access to lifesaving care that I had,” Hamlin said at the time. Following a stellar comeback campaign last season (89 tackles, two interceptions for a Bills team that fell one game short of the 2025 Super Bowl), Hamlin just signed a contract extension with Buffalo. And off the field, he’s led CPR-education clinics around the world, donated some $700,000 worth of AEDs to youth-sports groups, and partnered with health company Abbott to forge personal relationships with dozens of heart patients. “I’ve positioned myself not only to be an advocate and inspiration in this moment,” Hamlin says, “but to continue to make an impact in this space for the next 30 years.”