NFL Honors Damar Hamlin With Community Award After Holiday Toy Drive

The NFL is shining a light on Damar Hamlin's recent charitable efforts -- the Buffalo Bills safety was just selected as the Community MVP for Week 18 after giving back to his hometown during the holidays.

Hamlin received the honor for his 4th annual toy drive that went down last month ... where he distributed more than 2,000 toys, hundreds of books, and 50 bikes to hundreds of kids in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

Hamlin has been helping out those in his area since before his NFL days, but this one was extra special -- it was the first toy drive since he suffered cardiac arrest against the Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.

Hamlin said one of his first memories waking up after the incident was seeing the $9 million raised for his fundraiser. With the exceeded amount, Hamlin did his own personal Santa Claus impression, donning the big man's classic red suit and spreading some holiday cheer.

In a year that began with turbulence, this was one of the brightest moments for Damar ... which he explained when speaking about the drive.

"I just couldn’t wait for this," Hamlin said. "I've received so much love, so many blessings. I just couldn’t wait to pay them all forward."

The full $9 million raised after Hamlin's medical emergency won't just help his toy drive -- he said it will also go toward improving his community through CPR education, sporting events in the summer, and turkey drives.