The History of the NFLPS
A number of members of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons met at the Palmer House, in Chicago, in January 1966. The purpose of the informal meeting was to discuss problems in professional football that these men, who were team physicians, were having and to develop better communications among the teams. Drs. Fred Reynolds, Clint Compere, Edmond McDonald, Joe Godfrey and James Nicholas were at the first meeting.
The Sports Medicine Committee, at that time chaired by Dr. Jack Hughston, established a liaison with this group. In February 1967, the National Academy of Science sponsored a workshop on professional football injuries. It was the first workshop of this type.
Dr. James Nicholas, of the New York Jets, was made the first President, in 1967. Dr. Fred Reynolds, who was president of the Academy, was made the second president, in 1968, followed by Dr. Joseph Godfrey of the Buffalo Bills, in 1969, and Dr. Edmond McDonald of the Baltimore Colts, in 1970. Each Academy meeting between 1967 and 1970 was the site of a program held in conjunction with the Academy, which also included a dinner for the members.
Additional members who joined at that time were Drs. Jim Funk of Atlanta, Kenneth Saer from New Orleans, and Herbert Virgin from Miami. In those days, the problems included the difficulties with trading players and the availability of their medical records. Transfer of information was very limited from club to club.
It is interesting to note that in the formation of the Society, two Academy presidents, Drs. Reynolds and Compere, and an Academy vice-president, Dr. Godfrey, were directly involved in the care of teams and also involved with setting up both the Sports Medicine Society, in 1972 and the Professional Football Physicians Association.
It was through the efforts of these men, as well as those of Dr. Hinchey, another Academy president, from whom the Committee on Sports Medicine got its stimulus.
The Society flourished as other teams were added. Currently the Society has 134 members, representing 32 teams. Many of the 134 members are leaders in the field of Sports Medicine, have academic affiliations, have contributed to the literature regarding injuries in athletics, and are involved in the education of fellows and residents in the field of Sports Medicine.
National Invitational Camp (NIC), more commonly known as the NFL Scouting Combine, began in 1982 when National Football Scouting, Inc. first conducted a camp for its member NFL clubs in Tampa, Florida. The key purpose then, same as it is today, was to ascertain medical information on the top draft eligible prospects in college football. The inaugural NIC was attended by a total of 163 players and established a foundation for future expansion.
During the first three years, two additional camps were held at different times to collect similar information for teams that did not belong to National Football Scouting. However, in 1985 all 28 NFL teams decided they would participate in future National Invitational Camps with the goal of sharing costs for the medical examinations of draft eligible players. After brief stints in New Orleans (1984, 1986) and Arizona (1985) the camp was moved to Indianapolis Indiana where it has been operated since 1987.
As football and the art of evaluating players has evolved, so has the NFL Scouting Combine. While medical examinations remain the number one priority of the event, athletes will also participate in a variety of psychological and physical tests, as well as, formal and informal interviews with top executives, coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams. NIC is the ultimate four day job interview for the top college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft.
The NFL Physician Society holds its annual business meeting during the week of the NFL Combines. At this time, the Society addresses issues common to the membership such as controlling substance abuse problems among players, medico-legal concerns, and establishing effective liaisons with the owners and league office.
The goals of the NFL Physician Society are to constantly work toward improving the care of the professional football players and the prevention and treatment of injuries.
