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Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen credited his team’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown in last week’s game as a “miracle” and told his teammates “God is real” after the first play following Damar Hamlin’s life-threatening situation ended the previous game early.

This week, Allen joined ESPN’s “Kyle Brandt’s Basement.” He discussed Hamlin’s situation and how it has affected him. Allen called it “kind of a spiritual awakening” for him.

“I know for a lot of other people that maybe didn’t have the strongest belief, or wasn’t one of the biggest [or] strongest Christian followers,” he said.

Allen said it is something he has “never felt before.” He added it is also something a lot of his teammates have never felt before.

After recapping his thoughts from the kickoff return, Allen was asked to elaborate.

“I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t been the most devoted Christ-follower, in my life, and I’ve had my different beliefs and thoughts and ideas…but something got hold of me there, and it was extremely powerful that…I couldn’t deny.”

He was raised going to church but noted it’s been a while since he went to church.

“We went to church,” he said. “But, Ik was more worried bout the 10 o’clock start time for the San Francisco 49ers. I just wanted to wake up and watch football. ‘Let me get out of church so I can go watch football.’ It’s been so long since I’ve actually been to church. This conversation that we’re having right now, we’ve had all these conversations in our locker room and it’s really cool to see how guys have been moved and touched by this whole instance and situation and to see the country come together in support for Damar and maybe having those talks. Again, it doesn’t matter what you think and who you’re thinking, I’m not going to judge based on any of that, but to hear some of these stories and just feelings from our guys, to be going through his situation, it’s been really cool to see that unfold in front of us. I can’t chalk it down to anything else but a higher power.”

Allen is one of the top players in the NFL. He’ll likely be an MVP candidate for years to come. There is a chance he leads the organization to its first-ever Super Bowl victory.

Hearing him discuss faith like he has since the cardiac arrest episode of Hamlin shows that God can use any situation for His glory and purpose.

Let’s hope the faith generated from this incident for many remains as we become more removed from the initial emotions of the moment.

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