(NewMediaWire) - April 22, 2025 - DALLAS — The American Heart Association and the National Football League (NFL) want more people to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency. Currently, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die[1]. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. That’s why the Heart Association and the NFL are working together to expand the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association’s most recent commitment to CPR. With support from the NFL and others the Association has bold declared its desire to double survival rates of cardiac arrest by 2030.

“Because nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside of the hospital occur in homes, knowing how to perform CPR can literally be the difference between life and death for someone you know and love," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Our nearly 20-year collaboration with the NFL demonstrates our shared commitment to a world of longer healthier lives through physical activity, heart health and safety.” 

As part of the 2025 NFL Draft, the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers Mobile CPR Unit will be on site at the NFL Draft Experience at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. CPR trainers will provide free Hands-Only CPR instruction to the public Thursday, April 24–Saturday, April 26. In this walk-up style instruction, participants will learn the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions.

Compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR, can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response[2]. It is a skill everyone can learn. Simply call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

The sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during Monday Night Football in January 2023, sparked the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers CPR movement.  Now healthy and embolden, Hamlin, as the National Ambassador champion, works alongside the Association to add lifesavers to the chain of survival and inspire others to get engaged. The chain of survival refers to a series of critical actions that improve the chances of survival following a cardiac arrest.

For more than six decades, the American Heart Association has led the way as the global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and as the official publisher of the guidelines for CPR. Through the Nation of Lifesavers initiative, the Association is committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers. The multi-year initiative supports CPR education, extends automated external defibrillator (AED) use and engages employers, policymakers, philanthropists and others to increase the chain of survival. The long-term goal is to ensure that in the face of a cardiac emergency, everyone, everywhere, is prepared and empowered to perform CPR.

“The NFL is proud to continue its partnership with the American Heart Association to ensure that the entire NFL family can serve as lifesavers during medical emergencies,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. “With the spotlight on Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, we are excited to leverage this moment by helping expand access to essential CPR training and education for our fans.”

As a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, established by the NFL to advocate for all 50 states to adopt evidence-based policies preventing fatal outcomes from cardiac arrests among high school students outside of hospitals, the American Heart Association is working to gain support for legislation in Wisconsin. This legislation aims to implement cardiac emergency response plans (CERPs) in all public schools and emergency action plans that include cardiac emergency response for high school athletics.

It is estimated that more than 23,000 children under the age of 18 experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States. Almost 40% of these events are sports related. Whether in the classroom or on the playing field, having a plan in place to enable faculty, staff and students to quickly and correctly respond to a cardiac emergency can save lives. And in schools with AEDs, approximately 70% of children survive cardiac arrest—seven times the overall survival rate for children.

“As the 2025 NFL Draft comes to Green Bay, the league has been working side by side with our American Heart Association teammates and other Smart Heart Sports Coalition members to advance commonsense legislation that would provide school communities throughout Wisconsin with the life-saving equipment and game plan to effectively respond to cardiac emergencies—the number one cause of death among young athletes. In the spirit of the Draft, we urge lawmakers on the clock to select this legislation for passage and clinch a victory for student athlete safety,” said NFL vice president of public policy and government affairs, Kenneth Edmonds.

This marks the fifth appearance of the Association’s Mobile CPR Unit at a premier NFL tentpole event with previous appearances at Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix, the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit and Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.  

Since Hamlin’s experience in January 2023, the American Heart Association has worked alongside half of the NFL teams to offer education opportunities for staff or their communities. The Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans have hosted American Heart Association trainings and education opportunities making their community better prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency where fans live, work and play.

The Association encourages everyone, regardless of where they live, to take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life now at www.heart.org/nation. 

About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Linzy Cotaya: linzy.cotaya@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

[1] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.118.009873

[2]  https://cpr.heart.org/en/resuscitation-science/cpr-and-ecc-guidelines/resuscitation-education-science#5.

This press release is distributed by NewMediaWire. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is Join the Nation of Lifesavers at NFL Draft in Green Bay.