(Indianapolis, IN — March 2, 2022) – The NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) hosted an awards ceremony at its annual Scientific Meeting during the NFL Scouting Combine where it honored Rick Burkholder of the Kansas City Chiefs with the Fain-Cain Memorial Award for Outstanding NFL Athletic Trainer of the Year.
“One thing I’ve come to appreciate about Rick is his complex understanding of rehabilitation for the professional athlete. His ability to balance athlete safety and protection, the desires and competitive drive of the athlete, and utilization of contemporary rehabilitation techniques to expedite recovery and optimize outcomes has been impressive. His many rehab successes have been widely documented, from Rod Woodson to Terrell Owens to Patrick Mahomes,” said Dr. Paul Schroeppel, M.D., head team orthopedic surgeon and NFLPS voting member for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Rick has brought to this organization a modernized approach to athletic training both at the training table and field, but also demonstrated his ability to understand that in the NFL, his profession should not be limited to just men. He is a pioneer in opening the NFL training room to women,” said Michael E. Monaco, M.D., head team physician and NFLPS voting member for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Rick is the epitome of a leader, outstanding professional and someone who others look up to. During his time in the league, he has been a champion for change and raising the bar higher for other athletic trainers. We are so proud to have him as this year’s recipient of the coveted Fain Cain Award,” said Dr. Anthony Casolaro, President of the NFLPS and Chief Medical Officer of the Washington Commanders.
Known as one of the top athletic trainers in the National Football League, Rick Burkholder oversees the Chiefs’ athletic training staff and the team’s strength and conditioning and equipment departments to his responsibilities. He also serves as the team’s Infection Control Officer (ICO), a leading member of the club’s Infection Response Team (IRT).
Burkholder previously served as President of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), which serves the players of the NFL, the member clubs and other members of the community, while ensuring the highest quality of health care provided to the NFL. During his term, he focused on emphasizing the need for gender equality in the NFL’s athletic trainers, as well as the importance of athletic trainers at youth and high school levels.
Burkholder was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame in 2016, in addition to earning the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2016) and becoming the second person and first athletic trainer to receive the NATA’s President’s Award, honoring his contribution to the profession (2017).
The Fain-Cain Award is named for Dr. Thomas E. Cain, M.D., and Dr. Robert H. Fain, M.D., both long-time team physicians for the former Houston Oilers. The award was established shortly after Dr. Cain’s death and Dr. Fain’s retirement. The award is given annually to an NFL athletic trainer who best reflects the virtues of a certified athletic trainer and displays the highest level of professionalism.
The winner of the last Fain-Cain Award was Paul Sparling of the Cincinnati Bengals. A full list of previous winners can be found here.
