Bills safety Damar Hamlin to start season opener 18 months after near-fatal incident

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Difficult as it was for Damar Hamlin to deal with his many trepidations in last year’s successful bid to resume playing football following a near-death experience, the Buffalo Bills safety wouldn’t change a thing in retrospect.Each step of the process — his first practice, first tackle, first game — is what Hamlin believes led to him achieving a new plateau in his comeback in being selected a season-opening starter on Wednesday.Coach Sean McDermott made it official by announcing Hamlin will be paired with Taylor Rapp when the Bills take the field in hosting the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.“Truly a blessing,” Hamlin said. “I reflect back on the whole process and me not knowing if I would even be able to play again,” he added. “Last season was primarily just about healing and making myself do the hard stuff, thrusting myself into things that were uncomfortable, that made me fearful or gave me anxiety. But I was doing the hard stuff last year to make it easier this year.”Whether by design or chance, Hamlin sat at the interview table wearing a green pullover with the words “Don’t Quit” printed on the front.“It aligns with who I...