In honor of the medical team that saved his life earlier this year, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has created a scholarship for Cincinnati youth.

In January, the 25-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, which culminated in a nine-day hospital stay where he spent several days in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“A few extra minutes or even a few extra seconds and it could have been a different outcome,” Dr. William Knight IV told The New York Times during an interview following the occurrence. 

On Sunday, Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation announced it will distribute $1,000 scholarship awards to 10 individuals from Cincinnati’s underserved communities for three years. According to a news release, each of the individual scholarships will be named after the 10 first responders, nurses and doctors who supported Hamlin after his harrowing episode with cardiac arrest during the Bills’ game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

Hamlin is excited about the prospect of his scholarship opportunity.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to set up a scholarship program to honor this team of professionals – my Cincinnati heroes – who helped save my life on January 2,” he said in the release. “I created this scholarship program to recognize each of them for what they have done for me, while also lifting up kids in underserved communities who are in need of some support as they look to go to a private high school, trade school or on to college.”

In April, Hamlin revealed that he fell victim to a condition called commotio cordis, a blow to the chest that causes one’s heart to stop, CBS News reported.

The reserve safety is healthy and back on the field, playing in a single game this season.

In a reunion game versus the Bengals on Sunday, the Bills lost 18-24.

Damar Hamlin