Currently, the National Football League is the most popular professional sport in America. While African Americans make up 70 percent of players on the field, Black doctors represent only 5 percent of medical professionals in the league.

To address the need for more physicians of color, the NFL established the Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, a joint program with the NFL Physicians Society and Professional Football Athletic Trainers. The innovative program is a part of the league’s larger vision “to ensure that staff and leaders in the league office and at NFL clubs reflect the racial and gender makeup of America.”

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In the 2022 season, which was the inaugural year of the program, students were selected from the four HBCU medical schools – Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Meharry Medical College. In the 2023 season, 19 students will work with NFL teams.

Dr. Allen Sills, the Chief Medical Officer of the NFL, believes the initiative is a major step forward to attracting more diverse medical staff across the league.

“Our pilot program of 16 students represented the four HBCU medical schools and they spent a month rotation with our clubs immersing themselves in the medical staff. It wasn't just spending time with the club physicians but with athletic trainers, strength and conditioning staff, performance staff, and all the aspects of sports medicine,” Sills told BET.com.

“First, the goal of that month's experience was to expose the students to all of the emerging disciplines within sports medicine. Secondly, we wanted students to understand the career pathways that they can take to reach those different destinations. Thirdly and probably most importantly, we wanted students to develop some mentoring relationships because we know in medicine how important it is to have mentors who've been through the process of training and the credentialing that needs to go into those types of roles.

“So to have some mentorship relationship between the club physicians, the medical staff, and the students at this early stage of their careers, we thought would be incredibly impactful,” he added.

The initiative offers medical students the opportunity to complete a clinical rotation with the medical staff of NFL teams. During their rotations, students observe and participate in the medical care that NFL players receive throughout the season.

Additionally, students work under the supervision of orthopedic team physicians, primary care team physicians, and athletic trainers to acquire basic medical knowledge of patient care in sports medicine.

Dr. Kayla Thomas, a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine and a 2022 Pipeline Initiative Participant working with the New York Giants, spoke about being intrigued by the program as a former athlete who wanted to pursue her love of sports and medicine. An injury while running cross country and track sent her in a new direction.

“I had to go see a sports medicine physician to tell me what was going on,” Thomas explained. Ever since that encounter, I said, ‘I think this is what I want to do with my life. I want to stay around sports. I still get to keep the math and science aspect that I love and I get to help from getting injured and help them when they're injured.’ That was my first introduction to medicine.”

Thomas also shared how her experience as a participant led her to even more opportunities in sports medicine.

“When I was selected for the program, I was so excited,” she recalled. “We had a list of eight teams to choose from and I ended up with the New York Giants and I've been a fan ever since. It was such a great network networking opportunity because I got to meet some of the most amazing physicians in the world who were treating high-level athletes.”

Thomas said she was able to observe and work at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and saw how physical exams are done and how doctors interact with patients.

Despite the current low number of doctors serving NFL teams, diverse student enrollment in medical schools is increasing. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of Black students studying sports medicine was up 9 percent, making up 10 percent of matriculants in the 2022-23 academic year. First-year Black men was up by 5 percent.

One of those who are part of the increase, and chose sports medicine is Dr. Omolayo Dada, a graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine and a 2022 Pipeline Initiative Participant. He also said the program was a perfect match for his love for medicine and athletics.

“I did not have very much exposure to sports medicine before this initiative, but I did have exposure to sports being that I played sports in high school and volleyball at Norfolk State University as well,” Dada, who treats players on the San Francisco 49ers, said. “When this initiative was brought to me through my school and the NFL, I knew this was a way for me to combine my love for sports, as well as my passion for medicine and serving people.”

As the program expands the NFL aims to grow the initiative to include additional disciplines, spanning additional roles in the NFL’s player care “Team Behind the Team” initiative was brought to me through my school and the NFL, I knew this was a way for me to combine my love for sports, as well as my passion for medicine and serving people.”

As the program expands the NFL aims to grow the initiative to include additional disciplines, spanning additional roles in the NFL’s player care “Team Behind the Team” including physician assistants, certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, and behavioral health clinicians.

"Working toward diverse representation across all roles in our league continues to be a top priority, and this program helps us make a tangible impact to grow and bolster a pipeline of diverse sports medicine professionals," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "We know that diversity makes us stronger at every level, and we look forward to welcoming the 2023 class to our player care teams at clubs across the league."