ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Damar Hamlin released a video Saturday in which he says he's thankful for the outpouring of support and vows to pay it back, marking the first time the Buffalo Bills safety has spoken publicly since he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

Noting he continues to make "much progress" in his recovery, Hamlin said now was "the right time" to speak since the Bills' season ended and because he needed time to recover and gather his thoughts.

"It was just a lot to process within my own self - mentally, physically, even spiritually. It's just been a lot to process," he said. "But I can't tell you how appreciative I am of all the love, all the support and everything that's just been coming in my way."