On January 2, 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football. Thankfully, the NFL was prepared for this moment, having emergency response plans, equipment and personnel in place for every NFL game. The world witnessed the chain of survival seamlessly implemented for a cardiac arrest and the result was a miraculous outcome. Hamlin’s recovery is a testament to the lifesaving power of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), because devastatingly only 1 in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital currently survive. This low survival rate is partly because CPR is performed less than half the time according to data from the American Heart Association. Yet, science indicates that CPR, especially if performed immediately, can as much as triple survival rates.
Seeing those statistics play out in real time exposed the tremendous opportunity to ensure every athlete, on every field, has the same chance of survival as Damar Hamlin. The NFL used its brand platform to drive global awareness and behavior change. In doing so, it turned legions of worldwide football fans into lifesavers and proudly joined the American Heart Association on its Nation of Lifesavers™ campaign—aimed at doubling the survival rate for cardiac arrest outside of a by 2030.
From offering CPR education to team members at the league office, to establishing the Smart Heart Sports Coalition that works in all 50 states to adopt evidence-based public policies that will prevent fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest among high school students, the NFL recognized the opportunity presented. The NFL committed at least $1M annually to further CPR education both within the American Heart Association’s school-based program and by offering each of its clubs grants from the NFL Foundation to implement CPR education in their hometown communities.
As a result of the ongoing work of that coalition, which includes the American Heart Association, Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, and many professional sport leagues, nearly 20 states now have in place policies to protect student athletes. The coalition also launched the AEDs for Youth program to help schools and youth organizations purchase AEDs at a discounted rate. Work also continues at the federal level to fund a newly authorized program that will improve the chain of survival in elementary and secondary schools. Once funded, the program will provide federal grants to school districts to develop and implement cardiac emergency response plans, purchase AEDs and related equipment, and train students, staff and coaches in CPR and how to use an AED. The NFL has also made Hands-Only CPR education a staple at the Super Bowl and Draft fan experiences where thousands of fans can practice chest compressions and increase their confidence to respond to a cardiac emergency.
The focused CPR outreach is working, and the NFL platform has proven to be powerful. In 2023, nearly seven out of every ten U.S. adults said they would not feel confident to act during a cardiac emergency. Thanks in part to the combined efforts of the American Heart Association, the National Football League, and other community supporters, the Association has reported an increase from 33% to 39% in bystander confidence to be able to perform any type of CPR. That translates to 17.7 million more Americans feeling confident to act in the event of a lifesaving emergency.[1]
The NFL is proud to help ensure more people have access to an AED and know the lifesaving skill of CPR.
[1] 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, conducted for the American Heart Association. Available upon request.
Editor’s Note: The Nation of Lifesavers story series highlights the efforts of AHA CEO Roundtable member companies and organizations. The American Heart Association does not endorse or promote any specific products or services from the NFL or any other organization. Comments and opinions expressed by individuals outside the Association in this editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Heart Association.