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Following pro football player Hamlin's cardiac arrest, AZ athletic officials discuss safety

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After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed from a cardiac arrest during last week’s Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, questions about player safety are swirling.

That includes middle and high school athletes in the state.

Seth Polansky with the Arizona Interscholastic Association said schools are required to have an emergency action plan and medical professionals during events. 

“The qualified medical personnel could be a certified athletic trainer. It could be a nurse practitioner. It could be a medical doctor, an M.D. or D.O. There’s several people that meet the criteria," he said. 

It’s not yet been confirmed why Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest, though it may have been due to commotio cordis.

Saturday was the first day following the incident that pro players returned to the gridiron for play.

 

Tom Maxedon was the host of KJZZ’s Weekend Edition from 2017 to 2024.