Kenny Robinson Returns to Practice

Carolina Panthers safety Kenny Robinson has known Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin since middle school and the two became close friends during their time growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. 

Seeing what happened Monday night to his dear friend was a very difficult thing for him to deal with, as you could imagine. 

"They were like brothers. So he's taking it pretty hard," interim head coach Steve Wilks. "Spent a lot of time with him this morning and wanted to send him home so he can be able to have time to be able to really process things. Constantly in contact with him along with the player development team.

"They're in a group text every week," Wilks added. "Him and another guy that they grew up with. He's real close to him. I wanted him to understand as well as anybody else in that locker room that we care about you beyond the game of football. As much time that he needs, he's going to take."

Robinson returned to practice Thursday but declined to speak on the matter with the media and thanked everyone for checking in on him.

Fortunately, Hamlin made "substantial improvement over the past 24 hours," according to Division Chief of General Surgery, Timothy Pritts, MD of UC Health Medical Center.

"As of this morning, he is beginning to awaken and it appears that his neurological condition and function is intact. He continues to be critically ill and continues to undergo intensive care in our surgical and trauma ICU. He's being cared for by neurocritical care teams, trauma surgery, and a cardiology team as well as our expert nurses and respiratory therapists. He still has a significant progress that he needs to make but this marks a really good turning point."