Who is Reggie Brown? Bill Belichick likens Damar Hamlin's injury to former Jets LB's horrific incident

Damar Hamlin was seriously injured during Monday night's contest between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. One viewer at home was someone who doesn't usually watch Monday Night Football: Bill Belichick.

The New England Patriots coach was slated to get the Buffalo Bills for his Week 18 game and was watching to prepare. When he saw Hamlin lying motionless on the field, he was reminded of another catastrophic injury.

According to NFL reporter Andrew Siciliano, he immediately thought of something similar he had seen many years ago. He tweeted:

"Bill Belichick says he usually doesn't watch MNF, but was watching this week to prepare for the Bills. He says he immediately thought of Reggie Brown's 1997 injury that left the Lions LB paralyzed. Belichick was an assistant with the Jets that day."

It's unclear the extent of Hamlin's injuries. He suffered a cardiac arrest on the field and was taken to the hospital after several minutes of CPR and a successful resuscitation.

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Reggie Brown injury

The injury that Bill Belichick was referring to occurred to a former Detroit Lions linebacker named Reggie Brown. During the game against the New York Jets, the linebacker suffered a hit that caused a serious spinal cord injury.

Brown was in his second year in the league, exactly like Hamlin. Brown's helmet crashed into the back of a Jets lineman, which caused the injury.

He lay there after the hit, with teammates encouraging him for the stop. He was unable to move. He eventually lost his breath, too. Fortunately, he was able to regain it and be taken off the field, but he was paralyzed.

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Damar Hamlin injury update

It is unclear the lasting effects of Damar Hamlin's injury. He's still in critical condition, despite recent reports stating that he is awake and making some progress.

Hamlin was hit by Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins and collapsed on the field much like Brown. He was not awake on the ground like Brown was.

Damar Hamlin tackles Tee Higgins

Even with similarities, a story like the one Belichick remembers shows exactly how unprecedented Damar Hamlin's injury truly was.

The NFL is mulling options for the conclusion of that game.