Browns' Denzel Ward Leads Cleveland Campaign Urging Residents to Act as First Responder
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward teams up with the American Heart Association for National CPR and AED Week to encourage bystanders to perform Hands-Only CPR, aiming to close the gap where only 41% of cardiac arrest victims receive immediate help.
As National CPR and AED Week approaches June 1-7, Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is appearing on billboards across the city to urge residents to act as first responders in cardiac emergencies. The campaign, part of the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative, aims to dispel the myth that CPR requires special training. According to the Association, nearly 6 in 10 American adults mistakenly believe only trained individuals should perform Hands-Only CPR, a misconception that can cost lives.
Ward, who lost his father to sudden cardiac death, is lending his voice to the message that anyone can perform Hands-Only CPR. Immediate CPR dramatically improves outcomes, and since most cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals, bystanders are often the only ones who can act in time. Currently, bystanders perform CPR only about 41% of the time, a gap the Association is determined to close.
“People will often tell us they’re afraid they’ll ‘do it wrong’ or think CPR requires certification before they can help,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “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.”
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the U.S., and about 90% are fatal, with most happening at home. Hands-Only CPR for teens and adults involves just two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100-120 beats per minute—the rhythm of songs like “Stayin’ Alive”—to a depth of about 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.”
The American Heart Association and the NFL have collaborated for four seasons on the Nation of Lifesavers campaign to educate Americans on this lifesaving skill. The Association, which has 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 outlined in a 2023 scientific statement (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001196).
With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests occurring in homes, knowing CPR is critically important. The Association encourages everyone to take 90 seconds to learn Hands-Only CPR at www.heart.org/nation. Ward’s leadership across Cleveland reinforces that people don’t need medical credentials to save a life—just the courage to act.