The American Heart Association and National Football League have announced the 2025 Nation of Lifesavers Player Ambassador Class, consisting of 30 current NFL players dedicated to promoting CPR education on World Restart a Heart Day. The initiative aims to address the alarming statistic that over half of sudden cardiac arrest victims outside hospitals don't receive immediate CPR, leading to a 90% fatality rate.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who serves as National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers, represents one of the prominent faces of this campaign. The program marks the second annual ambassador class, building on momentum generated after Hamlin's own sudden cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football in 2023. Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the critical nature of immediate response, stating that CPR can mean the difference between life and death during cardiac emergencies.
The partnership includes multiple components designed to increase public awareness and training access. During the Thursday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, World Restart a Heart Day was observed with free Hands-Only CPR education during pregame activities and in-game recognition of bystander CPR through the Heartsaver Hero Award. Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins participated as one of the player ambassadors during the event.
According to American Heart Association data, learning Hands-Only CPR takes just 90 seconds and can double or triple survival chances. Anna Isaacson, NFL senior vice president of social responsibility, noted that the partnership ensures all members of the NFL family can serve as lifesavers during medical emergencies. The collaboration supports the Association's goal to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030.
The NFL Foundation provides CPR grants to each team to increase CPR and AED access in community neighborhoods. Since 2023, these annual grants have funded Hands-Only CPR training, Heartsaver CPR AED credentialing, placement of CPR in Schools Kits and CPR Youth Sports Kits. Teams work with the American Heart Association to create customized plans for their local markets, with more than half of NFL teams already hosting training sessions for players, staff, youth coaches and fan families.
The initiative extends to youth health programs through NFL PLAY 60 efforts in schools, where Hands-Only CPR Education serves as a key pillar within the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge. Students and families learn to recognize cardiac emergencies, call 911, and perform chest compressions through these programs. The American Heart Association also participates in the Smart Heart Sports Coalition established by the NFL, advocating for evidence-based public policies to prevent fatal cardiac outcomes among high school students.
Statistics reveal the widespread impact of cardiac emergencies, with more than 23,000 children under 18 experiencing cardiac arrest outside hospitals annually, and approximately 40% occurring among student-athletes. Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death for student-athletes nationwide. With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests outside hospitals occurring in homes, the need for widespread CPR knowledge becomes increasingly critical for public safety.
The American Heart Association, which publishes official CPR guidelines and has led resuscitation science for more than 60 years, provides resources for public education at www.heart.org/nation and www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR. The organization recommends that witnesses to teen or adult collapses immediately call 911 and begin chest compressions at 100-120 beats per minute with approximately two inches depth.
