Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin said he didn’t intend to “hurt or disrespect anyone” with the jacket he wore Sunday to the Super Bowl that has been called out for being “blasphemy.”
Hamlin tweeted an apology to fans who felt like his attire was offensive to Christians, explaining he viewed the jacket as “abstract art.”
My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images. I will learn from this and continue to walk in Love as I ALWAYS have. Matthew 7:1-5 🫶🏾💕
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) February 15, 2023
Hamlin suddenly found himself at the center of controversy over the weekend due to his Super Bowl attire. His colorful jacket featured an abstract depiction of Jesus’s face, with the word “Eternal” and a similarly-designed image of a crucifix emblazoned on the back.
Following Hamlin’s appearance at the Super Bowl, NFL MVP running back Adrian Peterson took offense to the way Jesus’ image was displayed on the jacket and quickly took to social media condemning Hamlin’s attire.
“You should be thanking God son!” Peterson wrote on Instagram. “This is Blasphemy!! We all fall short but c’mon man! I find this disrespectful.”
In a follow-up, however, Peterson shared on Monday that he has since spoken with Hamlin and understands that there was no “ill intent.”
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Hamlin hasn’t shied away from sharing his faith throughout his recovery, thanking God on multiple occasions since speaking publicly for the first time recently.
