Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is teaming up with the American Heart Association to urge Cleveland residents to learn Hands-Only CPR, appearing on billboards across the city during National CPR and AED Week, June 1-7. Ward, who lost his father to sudden cardiac death, is lending his voice to the message that anyone can perform Hands-Only CPR, challenging the misconception that only people with special training should step in.
According to the American Heart Association, nearly 6 in 10 American adults mistakenly believe that CPR requires certification. This belief can cost lives, as immediate CPR dramatically improves outcomes. Most cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals, making bystanders the only ones who can act in time. Currently, bystanders perform CPR only about 41% of the time, a gap the Association aims 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, chief executive officer 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.”
The campaign aligns with the Association’s national theme, “You Are the First Responder Until Help Arrives,” launched in February 2026. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the U.S., and about 90% are fatal. Most happen at home. Hands-Only CPR for teens and adults has just two steps: call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 beats per minute, roughly the rhythm of “Stayin’ Alive” or “Uptown Funk,” 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 has partnered with the NFL for four seasons through its Nation of Lifesavers campaign to educate more Americans about CPR. The Association, which publishes the official guidelines for CPR, aims to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030, according to a study in Circulation. With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests outside hospitals occurring in homes, knowing CPR is critically important. The campaign highlights that people don’t need medical credentials to save a life—just the courage to act. To learn Hands-Only CPR in 90 seconds, visit www.heart.org/nation.
