football
New study suggests brain changes in football players who are subject to head impacts
A study published recently in the JAMA Network Open involving MRI research that adolescent football players are susceptible to a variety of brain changes due to head impacts from playing. Researchers reviewed findings from structural... more »
5 components of a strong off-season training program
The main purpose of the off-season training schedule is to help improve your on-field performance. For field sport athletes such as American football that means balancing a whole array of different training qualities. You might... more »
Study says CTE may be overdiagnosed in living football players
Former pro football players with symptoms of depression or anxiety are far more likely to receive an unverifiable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than players without those mental health conditions, a new study reports.... more »
How West Virginia Develops Football Players
The goal of the strength and conditioning program at West Virginia University is to provide our student-athletes with the highest physical and mental preparedness on the field of competition. My goal is for our football... more »
Study links football to higher odds of Parkinson’s disease
Adult males who played football were associated with higher odds of self-reported Parkinson's disease, according to a recent study. Researchers from Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center examined 1,875 adult males who participated in sports,... more »
Gators Football boasts off-season gains
With the college football season right around the corner, the Florida Gators are showing off their gains in Gainesville. Head coach Billy Napier puts a premium on weight room success, employing Mark Hocke to run... more »
NFL announces 2023 ‘Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline’ participants
The National Football League (NFL), together with the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), announced the roster of medical students who will participate in the second year of the... more »
Inside the Philadelphia Eagles Sports Performance Team
It takes a team effort to make it to the NFL's pinnacle. The Philadelphia Eagles know this more than most. But that team effort extends beyond the gridiron to the team's support staff — like... more »
Researchers: 91% of 376 Former NFL Players had CTE
According to recent findings from Boston University researchers, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been found in more than 91% of former NFL players involved in an ongoing study on the degenerative brain disorder. The findings... more »
Buffalo Bills Medical Staff Honored Prior to Patriots Game
The Buffalo Bills may have received a hero's welcome when they returned to the field Sunday for the first time since Damar Hamlin collapsed on Monday. But one of the loudest pregame ovations was for the heroes... more »
Former California Student-Athletes Accuse ATC of Sexual Abuse
Six former high school student-athletes have accused their former football athletic trainer of sexually abusing them more than two decades ago. The claims come from former students of Colton High School in California and center... more »
Joint NFL-NFLPA Statement: Joint Review of the Application of the NFL’s Concussion Protocol
The NFL and NFLPA have completed their joint review of the application of their concussion protocol following the injury to Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during their game on September 25, 2022. Background and Context... more »
How Do NFL Teams Handle Training in the Summer Heat?
Football is in full swing — not just at the high school and collegiate levels, but also at the professional level. But while football players push themselves to train in the hot summer heat, they... more »
Mass General Brigham Hosts Sports Medicine Conference
The first Annual Mass General Brigham Athletic Training Conference was held on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, with keynote speaker longtime captain and All-Pro from the New England Patriots Matthew Slater. The... more »
This Shoulder Exercise is Done In Many NFL Weight Rooms
Certain muscle groups are just better suited for endurance training than others. Muscles that support fine motor skills, as well as those involved in rotational movements, are two examples that come to mind. All muscle... more »
Building Speed in the Trenches
Life happens pretty fast when playing in the trenches. Massive bodies colliding through an explosive burst, jockeying for positioning for 50 to 100 snaps a game. In football, success and failure are delineated by a... more »
Cincinnati Bengals Hire Summers as Head ATC
The Bengals hired Matt Summers as the team's new director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer. Summers replaces Paul Sparling, who is retiring after 30 years in the role. Summers joins the Bengals after... more »
NFL, UW Team Up to Research Sports-Related Concussions
The NFL partnered with researchers at the University of Wisconsin to learn more about why sport-related concussions happen, and what they can do to prevent them, according to a report from WEAU.com. UW offensive/defensive lineman... more »
Yellow Jacket In-Season Speed Training
Coaches of all levels and all sports now realize the value of a well-run and organized in-season strength and conditioning program. This was not always the norm though. Many coaches and programs were reluctant to... more »
WFT Assistant ATC Put on Leave Amid DEA Investigation
The Washington Football Team has placed assistant athletic trainer Doug Quon on administrative leave while the organization is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to a report from ESPN. Although the specific... more »
Minnesota High School ATC Saves Vet’s Life During Football Game
Over the weekend, a high school athletic trainer's quick thinking and fast actions saved the life of someone who fought for our freedoms. During Hutchinson (MN) High School's 'Red, White, & Blue Service Appreciation Night,'... more »
Study: Reduced Head Impacts Among Youth Football Players
According to a study conducted by Sanford Research, there's been a 79 percent reduction in head impacts after studying a youth football team for eight consecutive seasons. The study, entitled "Head Impact Exposure of a... more »
Q&A with Reggie Scott, Rams’ VP of Sports Medicine & Performance
Reggie Scott is a name that is frequently said aloud within the walls of the Los Angeles Rams facilities, particularly over the two years. From injury recovery to strength and conditioning program implementation to COVID-19... more »
USA Football’s Medical Advisory Panel Advance Smarter, Safer Play
USA Football announced this week its Medical Advisory Panel, comprised of experts to assist the sport’s national governing body in delivering leading athlete health and safety standards to America’s grassroots football family. A member of... more »
Equipment To Protect Your Top Commodity
Ask around your local football fields what a head coach wants out of their players and the answer will typically resemble the same idea: to get the most out of them. In order to do... more »
Merryman’s Upgrade Makes Merry Men of Tech Football
The Virginia Tech Football strength and conditioning center has been transformed into a dynamic training area to meet the current and future needs of the program. This $4.5 million renovation and expansion project nearly doubled... more »
Two Athletic Trainers Save Referee’s Life during Football Game
Two fast-acting athletic trainers sprang into action when a referee suffered a heart attack during a football game last week on Long Island, New York. During a weekend game between East Meadow High School and... more »
Brian Hess, UNC Football Strength Coach, Shares his Philosophies
Brian Hess has been the head strength and conditioning coach for the North Carolina football program since 2019. Prior to arriving at Chapel Hill, Hess, after spending two years as the head football strength coach... more »
Concussions Still on the Mind in Football
With the start of the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, and with NCAA and high school football already underway in many states amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some sports health professionals are still mindful of... more »
Bracing For Support: Highlighting the Transformation of Braces in Athletic Rehabilitation
On the second level of the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum, just a few steps below the research and preservation observation deck resides the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl gallery — home to relics from... more »
