Alex Highsmith has apologized for his CPR celebration.
Highsmith, a third-year linebacker on the Steelers, sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson on Friday. Defensive lineman Demarvin Leal came over and pretended to administer CPR compressions to Highsmith. The celebration struck a nerve because it came less than a week after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and was given CPR and shock treatment before being transported to the hospital by ambulance.
On Monday, Highsmith apologized for the celebration.
“I just don’t want people to think of me that way and think I was doing anything [intentional],” Highsmith said, as covered by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Because I would never, ever, ever, ever want to do that intentionally, and I never, ever would do that.”
Highsmith said that he and his teammate had not planned the celebration.
“I just want people to know that I have nothing but love for Damar and his family,” Highsmith said. “When that happened, I was shook for a couple days. Me and my wife, we were watching the game, we immediately saw it and intentionally started praying, intentionally prayed for him, his parents, the doctors, the nurses. Because me and her, we’re both followers of Christ. We both believe that prayer is powerful, and I’m just thankful for the miraculous work God has done with Damar’s life. I just want people to know that there was nothing intentional about that. It was never planned. None of that.”
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Hamlin, who has progressed remarkably since the incident, was released from the hospital in Cincinnati and transported to one in Buffalo on Monday.
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