NFL Players Lead National CPR Awareness Campaign on World Restart a Heart Day
The American Heart Association and NFL have launched the 2025 Nation of Lifesavers initiative with 30 player ambassadors to address the critical need for CPR education, as immediate intervention can double or triple survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest victims.
The American Heart Association and National Football League have unveiled the 2025 Nation of Lifesavers Player Ambassador Class on World Restart a Heart Day, featuring 30 current NFL players dedicated to promoting CPR education. This initiative represents a significant public health effort to address the alarming statistic that over half of sudden cardiac arrest victims outside hospitals do not receive immediate CPR, leading to a 90% fatality rate.
The ambassador program includes players from across the league, with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin serving as National Ambassador. The timing of this announcement coincides with the Thursday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, where World Restart a Heart Day is being observed through free Hands-Only CPR education and recognition of bystander CPR heroes. The initiative supports the American Heart Association's goal to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030.
Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the critical nature of this partnership. "When someone has a sudden cardiac arrest, immediate CPR can mean the difference between life and death. Thanks to the leadership of the NFL and its players, including Damar Hamlin, millions of people now understand just how critical it is to be prepared to act," Brown stated. "Our shared commitment has inspired a movement, and together we're building a nation of lifesavers."
The practical importance of this campaign lies in the accessibility of CPR training. Learning Hands-Only CPR takes just 90 seconds and can double or triple survival chances, making it one of the most effective emergency interventions available to the general public. The NFL Foundation supports this effort through CPR grants to each team, helping increase CPR and automated external defibrillator 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. More than half of NFL teams have already hosted American Heart Association trainings, educating players, staff, local youth coaches and fan families on Hands-Only CPR. The program extends to youth health initiatives through NFL PLAY 60, where Hands-Only CPR Education is a key pillar within the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge.
The collaboration also addresses cardiac safety in youth sports through the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, which the American Heart Association helped establish with the NFL in 2023. This coalition advocates for evidence-based public policies to prevent fatal outcomes from cardiac arrest among high school students. According to the Association, more than 23,000 children under 18 experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals annually, with about 40% occurring among student-athletes, making it a leading cause of death for this group.
With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests occurring in homes, the knowledge of how to perform CPR becomes critically important for family members and bystanders. The American Heart Association provides comprehensive resources for learning this lifesaving skill at https://www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR and maintains additional educational materials at https://www.heart.org/nation. This represents the second annual ambassador class, building on momentum generated after Damar Hamlin's sudden cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football in 2023.