ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky doesn’t normally stop ESPN Live to bow his head, close his eyes, and pray on air. But after Buffalo Bill Safety Damar Hamlin was injured during Monday Night Football, Orlovsky knew his words and commentary alone were not enough to help bring perspective and express his empathy. Orlovsky decided to take action and pray on air. He paused and gave the situation to God when he had nothing left to say.
I’ve heard it all day, “thoughts and prayers.” You just heard Scherff and Jonathan Allen say all we can do is pray for him. I’ve heard the Buffalo Bills organization say, we believe in prayer. And maybe this is not the right thing to do but it’s on my heart that I want to pray for Damar Hamlin. Right now. I am going to do it out loud. I am going to bow my head, close my eyes, and I’m just going to pray for him.
Orlovsky continued to open his heart to God in prayer and ask for help.
God, we come to you in these moments that we don’t understand, when things are hard. Because we believe that you are God and coming to you and praying to you has an impact. We’re sad, we’re angry and we want answers. But some things are unanswerable. We just want to pray, truly come to you, and pray for strength for Damar for healing for Damar for comfort for Damar.
Orlovsky’s sincerity and humility were evident in his prayer and the agreement of his colleagues Laura Rutledge and Marcus Spears who agreed and said Amen to his prayer.
“Be with his family, give them peace. If we didn’t believe that prayer didn’t work, we wouldn’t ask this of you God. I believe in prayer. We believe in prayer. We lift up Damar Hamlin’s name in your name. Amen.”
Orlovsky is himself a former NFL QB drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Connecticut. Orlovsky’s Twitter profile describes himself as, “Husband to a cool chick and Dad to Triplet boys and Lenni. Retired 12 year NFL QB. Endzones should be 11 yards????Follower of Jesus.”
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