ATHENS, Ga. — The roar of 90,000 fans had barely faded when Captain Trent McGuffey and Senior Police Officer Andrew Russell shifted from spectators to lifesavers.
The University of North Georgia Department of Public Safety officers had just wrapped up extra-duty at the sold-out Georgia vs. Alabama game on September 27. As they walked back to their vehicles, the crowd still pouring out of Sanford Stadium, they came upon a terrifying scene: a man in cardiac arrest.
“The patient was not breathing, had no noticeable pulse, and was cold to the touch,” UNG officials said.
In that moment, instinct and training took over. McGuffey and Russell began CPR, working steadily until EMS arrived. Their quick action kept the man alive. By the time paramedics transported him to the hospital, he was awake, talking, and alert.
This week, the University of Georgia Police Department honored the pair with Life Saving Awards.
“We are incredibly proud of our officers and their dedication to helping our communities,” UNG said in a statement.
UNG officers are recertified each year in CPR and other lifesaving skills, including AED use and stopping major bleeding. That constant training ensures they’re prepared for emergencies — whether in the line of duty or by chance in a stadium parking lot.
For McGuffey and Russell, it meant being in the right place at the right time — and giving a stranger a second chance.
