Buffalo Bills Star Damar Hamlin Praises Parents Mario and Nina: ‘All the Credit Goes to Them, Not Me’
By Leah Mitchell
Buffalo Bills Star Damar Hamlin Praises Parents Mario and Nina: ‘All the Credit Goes to Them, Not Me’
Despite the life-threatening cardiac arrest on January 2, 2026, Damar Hamlin is excelling in his career.
January 20, 2026
This article was last updated by Aditi Rai on January 20, 2026
Damar Hamlin, an American professional football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL, is making his parents proud of his achievements at such a young age.
In the Buffalo Bills‘ 27-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on January 20, Damar Hamlin showcased his defensive skills leading in his team’s victory.
He recorded a total of 8 tackles, including 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles, along with 1 sack on the opposing quarterback.
Furthermore, Damar Hamlin made his parents proud of his standout performance, who are his constant source of support.
Talking about his parents, Damar was born on March 24, 1998, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, U.S., to father Mario Hamlin and mother Nina Hamlin.
Growing up in a small town in the metropolitan area of Pittsburgh on the banks of the Ohio River, where there were high crime rates, Damar Hamlin and his family struggled a lot.
Moreover, Damar Hamlin and his parents, Mario and Nina, lived in a neighborhood that was rampant with drugs and gangs.
According to reports, Damar’s father, Mario Hamlin, began selling substances to support his family, who were struggling financially but unfortunately ended up behind bars.
Initially, Mario was sentenced to 10 years in prison for intent to sell drugs in 2010. However, he ended up serving 3-and-half years of his sentence.
Hamlin, who was 12 years old at that time, recalled his mom Nina’s struggle to run the home; :
“You start to sense something, and they said they were going to keep him; it broke my mom, my mom was crushed.”
Hamlin often states that even though his father was behind bars, he “sacrificed a lot” for him and set him up to be successful. On the other hand, his mother instilled in him “hard work and dedication.”
Damar Hamlin and His Mother, Nina Hamlin, Team Up to Manage Family Endeavors!
Before Hamlin’s father went behind bars, he and Nina started an office cleaning business, and Nina ran a daycare.
Likewise, after his father’s arrest, Hamlin began helping his mother clean offices after school.
Damar Hamlin often talks about his mother, Nina’s struggle while his father was behind bars.
In an interview, he stated that his mom, Nina, would be working at the daycare from six in the morning till six at night, and then he and Nina would go clean their accounts until around 10 or 12, depending on the day.
Hamlin also added:
“Just stepping up to the plate, just being there for my mom, just trying to make it easy for her. I had that work ethic in me, that we’re like, nothing can ever be too much.”
Furthermore, the NFL star stated that though it was hard to skip normal activities with friends, the hard work ethic and putting in extra work changed his life, and he credits his parents for shaping his life in such a way.
In an interview, Damar Hamlin stated that he is extremely close with his parents, Mario and Nina, and his little brother Damir.
He shared that his father was 17 and his mother was 16 when they gave birth to Damar, and he stated that he couldn’t imagine having to take care of a son when he was 16 years old.
He attributes his parents to keeping on track, stating that there were times when he could have steered left or steered right, but Mario and Nina were always there to straighten him out and get him back on track.
“I’ve got to give out a credit to them, it really had nothing to do with me. The only thing I had to do was just listen and that’s the type of kid I was.”
Hamlin’s father, Mario Hamlin, is now the owner of a trucking company, while his mother, Nina, is the co-owner of Kelly& Nina’s Daycare Center.
Damar Hamlin’s younger brother, Damir Hamlin, born in February 2015, is following in his footsteps in sports, and Damar aims to be his role model and help him pursue his career in sports.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Damar Hamlin began his football career at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he became the Class AAAA Defensive Player of the Year.
- He played college football with the Pittsburgh Panthers and played in three games as a freshman in 2016 before suffering an injury and receiving a medical redshirt exception for that year.
- In 2018, Hamlin led the Panthers as a redshirt sophomore with 77 tackles and two interceptions, winning the honorable All-Atlantic Coast Conference title.
- In addition to his football career, Hamlin is a fashion entrepreneur and started a fashion line, Chasing Millions.
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Suruchi is a business management student with a strong passion for writing, particularly when it comes to sports. She loves creating articles and blogs that explore various aspects of the sports world. With a curious mind and a love for both academics and creativity, she constantly seeks to expand her knowledge and share her insights through her writing.
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