On Saturday, April 5, the Howard University football team participated in an American Heart Association Hands-Only CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training to learn the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person's chance of survival.
Learning Hands-Only CPR is the skill needed to join the Association's Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which is focused on doubling survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by 2030. In addition to learning this lifesaving skill, players on the team participated in the American Heart Association's National Walking Day social media campaign by posting videos and photos of their walk on Wednesday, April 2. Student-athletes on the football team will also join in the Association's promotion of CPR and AED awareness week (June 1-7) by recording social media public service announcements (PSAs) encouraging their fans and followers to learn Hands-Only CPR.
"Early recognition and action in a cardiac emergency is the difference between life and death. When seconds matter it is important to have people nearby who are confident and capable of beginning administering CPR. The Howard University football team is helping to support that critical link in the community" said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "We know that with every CPR training we perform we are one step closer to ensuring that everyone, everywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival."
The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official guidelines for CPR. With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside of the hospital occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. More than 350,000 people in the US have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year.
"We are immensely grateful to the American Heart Association for providing our team with the knowledge and skills to perform hands-only CPR," said Larry Scott, head football coach at Howard University. "The ability to step in and potentially save a life is invaluable and this training puts our athletes and coaches one step closer to making a difference in someone's life when it matters most."
The American Heart Association is a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition established by the NFL in 2023. The coalition is actively advocating for all 50 states to adopt evidence-based public policies that will prevent fatal outcomes from cardiac arrest among high school students. According to the American Heart Association, as many as 23,000 children under the age of 18 experience cardiac outside of a hospital annually, and about 40% of those occur among student-athletes. It is a leading cause of death for student-athletes nationwide.
Take 90 seconds to learn Hands-Only CPR and join the Nation of Lifesavers, visit heart.org/nation.
