As National CPR and AED Week approaches from June 1-7, Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is stepping off the field and into the community to deliver a lifesaving message: anyone can perform Hands-Only CPR. Partnering with the American Heart Association as a Nation of Lifesavers NFL Player Ambassador, Ward is appearing on new billboards across Cleveland to encourage residents to act confidently during cardiac emergencies.
Ward, who lost his father to sudden cardiac death, understands the urgency of bystander intervention. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 6 in 10 American adults mistakenly believe that only people with special training should perform Hands-Only CPR. This misconception can cost lives, as immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) dramatically improves survival outcomes. Most cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital, making bystanders the only ones who can act in time.
Launched in February 2026, the Heart Association’s national theme—"You Are the First Responder Until Help Arrives"—is brought to life in Cleveland through Ward’s billboard presence. Currently, bystanders perform CPR only about 41% of the time, a gap the Association aims to close. Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, emphasized that fear of doing it wrong should not deter action. "Here’s what matters: if a teen or adult collapses, call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Your hands can keep blood flowing until professionals arrive," she said.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals annually in the U.S., with about 90% fatal. Most happen at home. The Heart Association stresses that Hands-Only CPR for teens and adults has just two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 beats per minute—roughly the rhythm of "Stayin’ Alive" or "Uptown Funk"—to a depth of approximately two inches.
"CPR is a personal duty," Ward said. "Heroism isn’t limited to uniforms—it is everyday people stepping up for others. Whether you’re at home, at the gym, or at a Browns game, cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, and you’re most likely to save someone you know."
For four NFL seasons, the American Heart Association and the NFL have collaborated through the Nation of Lifesavers campaign to educate more Americans about this lifesaving skill. The Association, with over 60 years of CPR education experience, publishes the official guidelines for CPR and aims to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030, as detailed in this study.
With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside hospitals occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. Hands-Only CPR is chest compression-only CPR. Residents can take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/nation.
