Unless you've been living under a rock, on Mars, while wearing big padded headphones, you'll know who Travis Kelce is.
The 34-year-old's star has been rising on and off the field, thanks to his budding romance with Taylor Swift. Stats show that the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end might even play better when the singer is in the crowd, as their relationship seemingly goes from strength to strength.
But despite his newfound fame, Kelce isn't the most Googled athlete in the U.S. this year.
In the past 12 months, Americans have Googled the Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin more than any other athlete, according to Google's round-up of the most searched-for public figures in 2023. The 25-year-old safety went viral for an unfortunate reason in January, after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a game.
After tackling Tee Higgins—wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals—Hamlin collapsed and needed emergency medical treatment. He received CPR, automated external defibrillation and oxygen, before being transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in critical condition.
Hamlin was diagnosed with commotio cordis, a rare condition caused by an object striking the chest and disrupting the heart rhythm. It is the third most common cause of abrupt cardiac death in young athletes.
As Hamlin's health scare was televised, commotio cordis has since received more public attention. A 2023 study published in the journal Sports Medicine was inspired by Hamlin's cardiac arrest, and recommended increased medical personnel and equipment at sporting events.
Hamlin made a full recovery. He was discharged from the hospital after seven days. He played in his first NFL season game in October.
"The world learned about Damar Hamlin on January 2, 2023," a spokesperson for the athlete told Newsweek. "The incident was an entry point for people to learn who Damar was. Now, coming up on one year later, Damar has only amplified the impact and utilized that attention to save lives with his charitable efforts."
However, his cardiac arrest caused a surge in conspiracy theories, which could contribute to explain the Google rankings. Anti-vaccine proponents blamed the COVID-19 jab for Hamlin's collapse—despite no evidence—while others claimed the football star had died and been replaced by a body double.
Along with taking the "most Googled athlete" top spot, Hamlin was also the most searched-for person in all of America in 2023. Marvel star Jeremy Renner, who also suffered an unfortunate snowplow accident earlier this year, came second, followed by Kelce in third.
Other sports stars to make Google's "most searched athlete list" for 2023 include San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Rounding out the top 10 are Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis, Osceola Magic star Mac McClung and MMA fighter Jon Jones.
Update 12/14/23, 04:10 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a quote from a representative of Damar Hamlin.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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