NEW YORK (JULY 18, 2023) – The National Football League (NFL), together with the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), today announced the roster of medical students who will participate in the second year of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, which aims to increase and diversify the pipeline of students interested in pursuing careers in sports medicine and, over time, help to diversify NFL club medical staffs. The students’ clinical rotations will begin as training camps open for the 2023 NFL season next week.
Last year’s pilot program hosted 14 students at eight NFL clubs. This season, the program will expand league-wide to more than double the number of students in the program’s second year. Diverse students from 19 medical schools will complete clinical rotations with NFL club medical staffs focused on primary care sports medicine and/or orthopedic surgery.
Participating students hail from the country’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) medical schools as well as other medical schools local to NFL clubs.
“The NFL and our club medical staffs are thrilled to welcome these impressive medical students from around the country to the league this season,” said NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills. “The league-wide expansion of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative this season demonstrates strong interest in sports medicine from diverse and under-represented medical students and is indicative of our clubs’ commitment to diversity in all facets of the game.”
The students participating in the program for the 2023 season include:
| Name | Medical School | NFL Club |
| Temitope Elutilo-Ayoola | Morehouse School of Medicine | Arizona Cardinals |
| Brandon Chiedo | Morehouse School of Medicine | Atlanta Falcons |
| Safwan Hyder | Georgetown University School of Medicine | Baltimore Ravens |
| Mohamed Bah | University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences | Buffalo Bills |
| Alexis Restrepo | Wake Forest University School of Medicine | Carolina Panthers |
| Tyler Kelly | University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville | Chicago Bears |
| Alexandria Williams |
Morehouse School of Medicine | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Penelope Halkiadakis |
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine | Cleveland Browns |
| Imari Parham | Meharry Medical College | Dallas Cowboys |
| Adrianna Hayden | Meharry Medical College | Denver Broncos |
| Tamarandobra “Dobra” Ogeh |
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine | Detroit Lions |
| Analisa Narro | McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston | Houston Texans |
| Adam Munoz | Morehouse School of Medicine | Indianapolis Colts |
| Lancelot Benn | Howard University College of Medicine | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Patrick Baki | University of Kansas School of Medicine | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Cameron Harris | Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Daniel Cordova | Charles R. Drew University | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Nonye Ikeanyi | Charles R. Drew University | Los Angeles Rams |
| Nicholas Cavil | Meharry Medical College | Miami Dolphins |
| Hassan Mian | University of Minnesota | Minnesota Vikings |
| Bryan Beaubrun | Howard University College of Medicine | New England Patriots |
| Schyler Morton | Meharry Medical College | New Orleans Saints |
| Valdemar Wany | Morehouse School of Medicine | New York Giants |
| Azra Dees | Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University | New York Jets |
| David Jimenez | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Warren Austin | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Bella Gomez | Stanford University School of Medicine | San Francisco 49ers |
| Brian Cedeño | University of Washington School of Medicine | Seattle Seahawks |
| Jamie Maignan | Morehouse School of Medicine | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Morgan Williams | Meharry Medical College | Tennessee Titans |
| Robert Emeh | Howard University College of Medicine | Washington Commanders |
During their one-month rotations, students will observe and participate in the care of NFL players, working directly with and under the supervision of the orthopedic team physicians, primary care team physicians and athletic trainers to gain medical knowledge and exposure to patient care in sports medicine.
Additionally, students will become familiar with return-to-play guidelines and on-field treatment considerations for NFL players. By the end of the rotation, students will understand the basic elements of all facets of care provided to NFL players from an orthopedic, primary care sports medicine and athletic training perspective.
“We are incredibly excited to participate in the second year of such an impactful and important diversity program,” said NFLPS President and San Francisco 49ers head team physician Timothy McAdams, MD. “Mentorship is a critical component of recruiting students into our field, so we’re thrilled to immerse more talented medical students with diverse backgrounds into the NFL clubs’ medical communities. We’re all looking forward to watching this program continue to grow and impact more medical students in years to come.”
“What an exciting time to launch the second year of the Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative,” said Reggie Scott, PFATS Past President and Los Angeles Rams Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance. “The league-wide expansion is just a testament to the commitment of diversity initiatives in the health and safety space in the NFL. We look forward to the continued growth with this program to create opportunities and experiences for so many diverse medical students.”
Read the full story on the NFL’s website here.
