Philadelphia Eagles help Olney High School football players learn CPR, AED skills at practice
Football players at Olney High School traded tackles for chest compressions Tuesday as the Philadelphia Eagles and American Heart Association teamed up to help teach student-athletes how to respond to a cardiac emergency.
The players learned hands-only CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED, during a special practice aimed at giving them skills that could help save a teammate, opponent or someone in their community.
For Sincere Perez, an Esperanza Academy student who plays football for Olney, the training was new.
"I never did CPR a day in my life," Perez, 18, said. "It's my first time actually trying."
Perez said he hopes what he learned will allow him to step in if someone ever needs help.
"Just in case one of your teammates goes down, or your opponent goes down, you know how to do CPR, and be the first one to go to it," he said.
The training comes as the American Heart Association says cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for young athletes in the United States.
Jeffrey Salvatore, vice president of community impact for the American Heart Association of Greater Philadelphia, said bringing the Eagles into the lesson gave the organization an opportunity to reach young people through a team they already know and admire.
"Growing up in the Philadelphia area, you know that the Philly sports teams are the biggest influencers," Salvatore said. "So being able to share the message of hands-only CPR in hopes that we can increase our bystander response rate with the Eagles … you can't replace that."
Salvatore said the students were taught two basic steps for hands-only CPR: call 911, then press hard and fast in the center of the chest. Players put those instructions into practice, performing chest compressions on training mannequins along to the beat of music.
They also learned how to operate an AED.
The Eagles' visit included wide receiver Darius Cooper, Eagles cheerleaders and team mascot Swoop. The organization also announced a $10,000 donation supporting the American Heart Association's CPR education and lifesaving training efforts.
But Perez walked away from practice with another surprise.
He was named one of the Eagles' nominees for the 2026 NFL Latino Youth Honors, a program recognizing high school seniors for achievements on the football field, in the classroom and in their communities.
His coach said the nomination reflects the leadership he sees from the young athlete every day.
"He shows up every day. He puts the work in," said Brandon Holub, Olney High School's head football coach and a health and physical education teacher. "We ask him to step into a huge role as a leader on the team. He's always working hard and he's always hustling out on the field."
Holub called Perez the leader of Olney's defense and said the Eagles' visit also gave the entire team a boost ahead of its next game.
"Having the players come to practice probably pumps them up in time for our game on Thursday," Holub said. "So hopefully they can carry that momentum forward."
