Browns' Denzel Ward Urges Cleveland: You Can Save a Life with Hands-Only CPR

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is teaming up with the American Heart Association to launch a citywide billboard campaign during National CPR and AED Week (June 1-7), urging residents to learn Hands‑Only CPR. Ward, who lost his father to sudden cardiac death, appears on new billboards across Cleveland to dispel the myth that only trained professionals can perform CPR. The American Heart Association reports that nearly 6 in 10 American adults mistakenly believe special training is required, a misconception that costs lives since 90% of the 350,000 annual out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the U.S. are fatal. The campaign, part of the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative, emphasizes that bystanders are often the only ones who can act before help arrives.

The core message, “You Are the First Responder Until Help Arrives,” encourages anyone to call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 beats per minute—to the rhythm of songs like “Stayin’ Alive.” Ward stresses that heroism isn’t limited to uniforms; cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, and you’re most likely to save someone you know. The American Heart 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 through partnerships like this one with the NFL.

With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests occurring at home, learning Hands‑Only CPR is critically important. The campaign empowers everyday people to act confidently during emergencies, bridging the gap where bystanders currently perform CPR only about 41% of the time. For more information, visit www.heart.org/nation.