Gridiron Greats To Sign Partnership For Medical Aid To Ex-Players

By Daniel Kaplan, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal  

A group of retired football players is expected to announce next week a new program to provide free surgeries and rehabilitation for impoverished ex-NFL athletes. The initiative follows several years of intense public relations headaches for the NFL and the players union, which have been roundly criticized for not doing enough for former players in need. The issue has led to cycles of negative media coverage and even congressional hearings. The NFL and NFLPA in July set up what would become a $17M hip and joint replacement effort, but according to Gridiron Greats, the retired players group launching the new effort, only one surgery has been performed since the inception of the program. “We have proven now this was never important to the league or the players association, but it is important to us, and we are going to make it happen,” said Gridiron Greats BOD member Mike Ditka.

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE: The Gridiron Greats program, which will cover a wide range of surgeries, has contracted with Surgical Specialty Hospital in Arizona and OAA Orthopedic Specialists in Pennsylvania, both of which will provide the services free of charge, Ditka said. Gridiron Greats will pay for the players’ travel expenses, which the NFL and NFLPA plan does not, the group said. An NFL spokesperson did not refute that only one surgery had occurred under its plan but pointed out that the network of hospitals participating in the plan was only established in December. A group of four players already is set to travel to OAA to be reviewed by doctors, Ditka said, including Marco Rivera, a player who has received much attention the past year for his difficult life after football and battle with the union over disability benefits. The medical centers are providing the work for free as part of general pro bono work they perform, Ditka said. 

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