Caleb Kindle-Parrish was thrust into a huddle ahead of his very first game with the Commanders, and his adrenaline was at a high. It was his first emergency action plan meeting — a gathering of medical staff and referees that takes place 60 minutes before every NFL kickoff. One by one, each member of the circle he stood in introduced themselves. It got to be his turn, and, slightly unsure of the next step, he locked eyes with a teammate he trusted.

“I make eye contact with Dr. Antonis, and I see him nod his head ‘Yes’ so I introduce myself, ‘Caleb, medical student, Washington Commanders,'” Kindle-Parrish said. “I didn’t know what to exactly do at that point, but I was glad to take part and be acknowledged as part of the team in that moment.”

The moment captures what the NFL’s Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline initiative is all about: allowing medical students to be truly immersed in what it’s like to be on staff for an NFL club. During his month-long rotation with the Commanders, Kindle-Parrish, who is a fourth-year medical student at Howard University, learned the ins and outs of the medicine side of Washington football, taking with him plenty of lessons for his future in the field.

Football has long been an important part of Kindle-Parrish’s life. He was born in Atlanta, where the priorities in his words are, “God, family and football.” He started in the sport when he was around 5 or 6 years old and would play in college as a fullback at Howard. Football gave him many gifts that he finds himself continuously reflecting on.

Read the full story here at Commanders.com.