Chiefs profile athletic trainers in latest episode of ‘The Franchise’
After Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest in Week 17’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the football world paid closer attention to the team behind the team. Although athletic training can seem like a tedious job, this moment highlighted its importance to fans. It wasn’t just the athletic trainers who helped save Hamlin’s life, but also those across the league who make an impact on a daily basis.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of blessings an award-winning athletic training staff Rick Burkholder is the VP for Sports Medicine and Performance. During the latest episode of “The Franchise” the Chiefs took some time to profile their athletic training staff and explain their role in keeping players healthy and upright throughout a long and grueling NFL season.
“I’ll argue with anybody that I have the best staff in the National Football League,” Burkholder said. “I’ll start with David Glover, who is my longest-standing employee and the most loyal guy I know. His skill set has grown drastically since I’ve been here because he’s eager to learn and wants to be ‘the guy.’
“The next person on the staff I hired when I got here was Evan Craft. He is a reliable person for all our performance stuff. He’s a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to recovery and performance and stuff like that.
“Then, I hired Tiffany Morton. She’s one of the first female (athletic trainers) to work in the National Football League. I consider her the first lady of athletic training because she’s always on TV on ESPN, NFL Network. Her role as an example for women in the NFL is to be her.
“The last person I hired was Julie Frymyer. She is probably more educated than anyone in the building. I will say this on record, she’s the single-best clinician I have ever been around and that includes 36 years of athletic training, NATA Hall of Famers, pro football people, college athletic trainers — she’s the very best clinician.”
This group’s apparent success can be attributed to the diversity of its staff members. They can match different training staff members with players according to their needs and wants. Burkholder even gave an example.
“That’s the art of sports medicine,” Burkholder said. “And sometimes I get it wrong. So, in 2013 when we got here, (Travis) Kelce gets hurt and we start his rehab and I’m treating him like his brother. He and I have made zero progress. Then it dawned on me that I wasn’t the right person to rehabilitate Travis Kelce, so I turned him over to David Glover and they sailed.”
To find out more about the Chiefs’ athletic training staff, watch the latest episode of “The Franchise” at the top of the page or on YouTube Continue to the 11 minute mark.
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