A Super Bowl ad honors first responders with true rescue stories

There are at least 11 NFL players that would be dead now had it not been for the lifesavers that came to their rescue. An ad set to air during Super Bowl LIII pays tribute to them and the many, many like them who risk their lives to save others.

"The Team That Wouldn't Be Here" is comprised of 11 players and a coach who share their rescue stories as they came close to death in natural disasters, car accidents, and more. One iteration of the campaign aired during the NFC and AFC Championship games, but an all-new one is set to air during the big game.

included in the campaign is a microsite, AllOurThanks.com, that houses a dozen stories, told by the NFL players who were rescued, as they offer their thanks to the first responded who saved their lives and the lives of their loved ones. The stories were directed by Peter Berg, the Emmy-nominated director of Friday Night Lights and 2013's Lone Survivor.

"The idea of acknowledging first responders is something I believe in," Berg told USA Today. "It's something that I don't think ever gets old."

Raiders Quarterback A.J. McCarron would be dead now after a jetski accident as a child. The Packers' Clay Matthews wouldn't be here because of a bicycle accident. For the Texans' Carlos Watkins, it was a car accident. The videos also feature the players family and other loved ones – as well as some of the first responders who actually rescued these players.

The website, launched by Verizon, allows anyone to give thanks to a first responder by uploading a photo along with your first name and last initial. The beautiful, heartfelt thank-yous play on a rotating ticker at the bottom of the page as the ad reads "First responders answer the call. Our job is to make sure they can get it."