{"id":45593,"date":"2025-07-28T11:20:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T15:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=45593"},"modified":"2025-07-28T11:20:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T15:20:45","slug":"espns-dan-orlovsky-says-praying-for-damar-hamlin-on-air-was-a-risk-but-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2025\/07\/espns-dan-orlovsky-says-praying-for-damar-hamlin-on-air-was-a-risk-but-worth-it.html","title":{"rendered":"ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky Says Praying For Damar Hamlin on Air Was a Risk\u2014But Worth It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
@d.ham3 \/ Instagram | Inset: Awful Announcing \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game in early 2023, the nation held its breath. Social media was flooded with “thoughts and prayers,” but former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky decided to do something more\u2014he actually prayed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Live on national television.<\/p>\n

“I heard the Buffalo Bills organization say that ‘We believe in prayer,'” Orlovsky recalled. “And maybe this is not the right thing to do, but it’s just on my heart, and I want to pray for Damar Hamlin right now.”<\/p>\n

So, the analyst bowed his head on ESPN’s NFL Live<\/em>, closed his eyes, and lifted up a heartfelt prayer:<\/p>\n

“God, we come to you in these moments that we don’t understand, that are hard because we believe that you’re God\u2026 We just want to pray, truly come to you and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar.”<\/p>\n

Now, more than two years later, Orlovsky says it was one of the most powerful\u2014and humbling\u2014moments of his broadcasting career.<\/p>\n

“It was uncomfortable,” he admitted<\/a> on the Awful Announcing<\/em> podcast. “Everyone keeps saying ‘thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers.’ And I thought to myself, ‘Someone should actually pray for Damar \u2014 like actually pray for him \u2014 instead of just saying it.'”<\/p>\n

He said he wrestled internally before praying live, especially knowing that public expressions of faith can be divisive. “I started to have this feeling in my heart: ‘OK, Dan, God’s telling you, go pray for Damar.'”<\/p>\n

After checking in with his colleagues, he followed through\u2014and the response was overwhelming.<\/p>\n

“99.999999999% of the reaction was positive,” Orlovsky said. “Did I get an email or a message here and there from people who said it wasn’t their cup of tea? Sure. But overwhelmingly, I think people connected with it.”<\/p>\n

Orlovsky says he received full support from his employer. “I didn’t have any negative feedback or pushback\u2026 nothing. I think it meant a lot to a lot of people.”<\/p>\n

That moment of bold faith left an impression on millions\u2014and, by God’s grace, Hamlin’s story didn’t end on that field. After a week in the hospital, the Buffalo Bills safety made a stunning recovery and returned to play in the 2024 season opener. He’s now a key part of the team’s defense.<\/p>\n

For Orlovsky, that moment of obedience is a reminder that faith\u2014even when it feels uncomfortable\u2014can be exactly what the world needs to see.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes, you just have to follow what God puts on your heart,” he said. “And let Him take care of the rest.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game in early 2023, the nation held its breath. Social media was flooded with “thoughts and prayers,” but former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky decided to do something more\u2014he actually prayed. Live on national television. “I heard the Buffalo Bills organization…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":45596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nESPN's Dan Orlovsky Says Praying For Damar Hamlin on Air Was a Risk\u2014But Worth It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When Damar Hamlin collapsed, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky boldly prayed live on-air\u2014now he calls it one of the most powerful moments of his career.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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