Dr. Jim Ellis Honored by NFL Physicians and Athletic Trainers at Awards Ceremony
Indianapolis, IN (Feb 26, 2025) – The NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers (PFATS) honored Dr. Jim Ellis, the Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness for the NFL, with the Presidents’ Award for his decades of dedicated service to both organizations and the NFL players at the Annual Scientific Meeting during the NFL Scouting Combine.
He oversees the NFL Emergency Action Plan program, as well as the Airway Management Physician and Emergency Response Physician programs. Additional responsibilities include all neutral site games, including the NFL International Series Games and the Super Bowl.
Dr. Ellis was named Chief Medical Officer for the College Football Playoff in 2023 and was also the Chief Medical Officer for the United Football League, after the merger of the XFL and USFL for their 2023 and 2024 seasons. He graduated from the LSU School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He has worked in sports and venue medicine for over 30 years, including medical planning for multiple Olympics and World Cup soccer tournaments. He spent 13 seasons as an Associate Team Physician and Airway Management Physician for the Atlanta Falcons and is a past member of the NFL Physicians Society.
“The NFLPS congratulates Dr. Ellis on receiving this well-deserved honor. Dr. Ellis is tireless in his pursuit of elevating safety and quality of medical care at every football venue across the world,” said Dr. James Voos, NFLPS President and Head Team Physician for the Cleveland Browns.
“PFATS would like to congratulate the recipient of this year’s Presidents Award Dr. Jim Ellis. Having spent time reviewing his Resume and CV, there is not much that Dr. Ellis hasn’t done throughout his career,” said Bryan “Flea” Engel, President of PFATS and Director of Sports Medicine / Head Athletic Trainer for the Green Bay Packers. “Dr. Ellis has held almost every conceivable position in a health care system. He has been a Director, Chief of Staff, Vice President, President, and has been a co-chair and chair of committees.
“Today, we all benefit from his experiences and expertise as he reviews our Emergency Action Plans, influences our AMP and ERP programs and coordinates our medical care for the international games all over the globe. Personally, I rest much easier knowing that Dr. Ellis is involved. He has prepared us for any and all situations because he has spent his professional life making certain that he is organized, equipped and practiced for any and all situations that could arise. On behalf of PFATS and the NFL Physicians Society I am honored to present Dr. Jim Ellis with this year’s Presidents Award.”
The NFLPS and PFATS Presidents’ Award is given to an individual or group that has shown exemplary service and dedication in the medical field in service to the NFLPS and PFATS members and NFL players.
The winner of the last Presidents’ Award was Robert Anderson, MD of the Green Bay Packers. A full list of previous winners can be found here.
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