Damar Hamlin’s friend and marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, said he believed Hamlin would be able to bounce back after going down from cardiac arrest during a game on Monday.
“He’s always been a fighter; I mean, if you know anyone that I’ve had the confidence to succeed in anything, it’s him. He’s a guy who’s always figured out a way to get ahead,” Rooney told CNN. Adrienne Broaddus on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot, first as a friend of his – just trying to make sure he’s okay, and then you know as someone supporting the family, wanting to protect them and wanting to have the narrative around Damar – I think it’s important for people to know about Damar who,” Rooney said.
In his last conversation with Hamlin, Rooney said they were talking about his philanthropic contributions to the community.
“The last time we talked was about his toy cars. We had two of them – so he was excited about how successful it was,” Rooney said. He also called Hamlin “strategic” and “personal.”
Rooney said that while he understood fans would want to know more about Hamlin’s form, he asked for patience.
“Be patient now,” Rooney said. “Here’s a man with a family … his well-being is what matters.”
Rooney said he could not comment on Hamlin’s current fitness in an official capacity.
“Honestly, I can’t talk about medical stuff – like I’m not well-versed enough to give an expert opinion there,” Rooney said.
Although Hamlin’s condition is still uncertain, Rooney said he was already looking forward to seeing Hamlin again.
“I’m glad he’s come back from this because Damar is a guy who takes advantage of things like this, adversity, and he makes sure he inspires a lot of other people along the way,” he said.
In an earlier interview, Rooney said he met Hamlin when he interned for him at Hamlin and the pair have been good friends since.
“I actually knew Damar because he was a Division I footballer and he contacted me to be my trainee. It was something very unique because he had always been interested in being an entrepreneur and wanted to build his own business. Corporate fire,” Rooney told ABC’s Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America.” “He interned for me, and then we became very, very close, so now, you know, we’re partners in a business. We collaborate on a lot of things and we’re really good friends.”