Who is Damar Hamlin’s mother, Nina?
Liam Parker
Updated on April 03, 2026
Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed mid-game due to cardiac arrest on Monday night, prompting interest in his family life – so, who is his mother and father, Nina and Mario?
Damar Hamlin is in critical condition after colliding with Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins during their game on Monday night, reports Sky Sports.
His team confirmed that the Buffalo Bills star, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest and his heartbeat was restored on the field before being transferred to the UC Medical Center.
Fans and NFL athletes are sending their condolences to the Hamlin family, including his mother and father, so here’s everything we know about them.
Damar Hamlin currently sedated, but vitals are stable
Hamlin was seen getting to his feet from his initial fall when tackling Bengals’ receiver Higgins, but collapsed on his back as his health deteriorated.
The game was officially postponed about 90 minutes after kickoff – a rare occurrence in the NFL. Fox19 reporter Joe Danneman updated that the safety had a pulse after CPR, but was not breathing on his own.
His vitals are stable and has been sedated to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently performing tests, Damar’s friend and marketing representative Jordan Rooney updated.
Well-wishes have poured out from the sports world, including NBA’s LeBron James. “It was a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid,” BBC quotes. “I am a huge fan of the NFL and football and you never want to see anything like that happen.”
Who is Damar Hamlin’s mother?
Aside from being a star athlete, Hamlin is known for his close relationship with his mom, Nina. His mother welcomed Damar when she was just 16 years old, as was his dad, Mario, meaning that they are about 40 years old.
Damar is reportedly one of two Hamlin brothers.
Nina ran a daycare and the couple headed an office cleaning business to make ends meet.
The NFL star has always admired his mother’s determination and credits his success to his parents, telling News4 in 2021: “I’m extremely close to my family and I just try to think about when I was 16 years old and I just couldn’t imagine having a little boy.”
“It was us at first, just me and my mom and my dad, and they taught me hard work. They taught me you gotta work for everything you and basically they just taught me all of the lessons of life,” he recalled.
Check out this heartfelt video of Damar and Nina hugging during a November 2022 game:
