Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday returned to his alma mater, Central Catholic High School in Oakland, to announce a scholarship initiative for students and those planning to go into building trades.
Through Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, 10 scholarships — each worth $1,000 — will be given annually to students attending Central Catholic.
Another five scholarships — also at $1,000 each — will be awarded to Pittsburgh-area high school students who plan to attend a trade or vocational school.
Scholarship money can be used toward tuition or other education-related expenses. Central Catholic’s tuition this year is $15,750.
“Knowing that some people believed in me as a young kid, being able to provide that, I know how far that will go,” Hamlin said. “I know what this opportunity did for me, and to be able to create that same experience will make the world a better place.”
Hamlin, who grew up in McKees Rocks, received the Kyle B. Wilson Scholarship, a program of the Poise Foundation to support students in Allegheny and Beaver counties. That award, coupled with financial aid, made it possible for Hamlin’s family to send him to Central Catholic, he said.
“Someone saw something in me before the world did, and now I’m in the position to do the same,” Hamlin said. “That’s why the Chasing M’s Foundation is bringing the Hero Scholarship to Pittsburgh, to create access, opportunities and to open doors for the next generation, just like it would come for me.”
The scholarships honor the 10 people who helped save Hamlin’s life in January 2023 when he went into cardiac arrest during a Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin launched the scholarship initiative in Cincinnati in 2024 and expanded it to Buffalo the following year.
“People have truly always invested into making me the best person that I could be,” Hamlin said. “I always appreciated and respected that opportunity, and I know that all of these kids are waiting for someone to believe in them, so I know how important it is.”
Hamlin said the lessons he learned at Central Catholic gave him the confidence to chase and achieve bigger goals. He played football for the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted into the NFL.
“It shaped me beyond the game of football, as a businessman and as a leader,” Hamlin said. “It taught me that relationships are everything — the connections you build, the network you grow and the alumni you stay attached to, that’s what created real opportunity.”
Mayor Corey O’Connor, a 2002 Central Catholic graduate, said Hamlin’s investment will give students new opportunities.
“This is going to reshape Western Pa. and support individuals who want to provide a future not only for themselves, but for their families,” O’Connor said. “And it doesn’t happen without true leadership and somebody that cares about where he came from and why he wants to give back.”
Scholarship details and applications are located on Hamlin’s website, chasingmsfoundation.org. Applications close May 1.
Central Catholic Principal Jack Wallace said Hamlin’s scholarship will make a Central Catholic education more accessible.
“It also serves as a powerful reminder that the impact of a Central Catholic education extends far beyond these walls, but in the end, all roads lead back to 4720 Fifth Avenue,” Wallace said.