Former Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns quarterback Connor Shaw is speaking publicly about a terrifying health scare that nearly took his life.
In September 2025, Shaw suffered sudden cardiac arrest while coaching his son’s youth flag football game in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The emergency unfolded in front of his family after he began feeling dizzy and nauseous, then suddenly collapsed. “I had no pulse,” Shaw later told reporters.
Help came fast. An off-duty firefighter, Caleb Carter, performed CPR for five minutes, and an off-duty police officer also stepped in to help with chest compressions.
Medics then arrived with an automated external defibrillator and shocked Shaw’s heart. He survived the ordeal and later fully recovered.
“Caleb and Zach, thank you for saving my life,” Shaw shared.
The former quarterback, who spent four seasons in the NFL from 2014 to 2017 but appeared in only one regular-season game, has since taken major steps to protect his health. After leaving the hospital, he had a Medtronic EV-ICD device implanted under his armpit to monitor his heart rhythm and help guard against another cardiac emergency.
Shaw’s personal life has also grown in the months after the scare. Ten months later, he and his wife welcomed their fourth child, a son named Shepherd.
Now, Shaw is channeling the experience into action. He started a nonprofit called HRTHUDL, also known as The Heart Huddle, with a focus on raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. The group also teaches CPR and helps provide automated external defibrillators to local communities.
The foundation launched its mission during the South Carolina and Clemson football game, and it has already donated 34 AED devices. Those devices have gone to schools, local parks and businesses across South Carolina, with Shaw hoping to make sure more recreational sports fields are prepared to save lives.
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