Related Links

Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is continuing his crusade to assist struggling NFL retirees in getting the medical treatment they need for injuries stemming from their playing days.

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, chaired by Ditka, announced Tuesday it would expand its medical program by teaming up with two orthopaedic specialty groups, a spinal surgery practice and an insurance benefit consultant company, to offer “pro bono” medical care to NFL retirees who played at least three years in the league.

“People who have contributed to the success of this game, let’s make sure they live their life out with a little bit of dignity and respect,” Ditka said.

Retired NFL running back and former Northwestern All-American Mike Adamle attended the Tuesday press conference to pledge support for the cause. Adamle said he witnessed what a career in the NFL can do to an athlete’s body, watching his father suffer two knee replacement surgeries after retiring from the Cleveland Browns as a running back and linebacker.

“I watched him go through the ordeal of having both of his knees replaced, and that left an impact on me that I will never forget,” Adamle said. “There are a lot of us who came out of the game relatively unscathed and I think it’s our responsibility as former players to give back.”

Retirees who demonstrate financial need will be eligible to receive medical care at a rate of up to 60 percent off the total cost of treatment, as well as discounted prescription drug coverage and dental insurance.

In order to be considered, the former players must contact the organization and have their cases heard by the Board of Directors, which includes: Ditka, former coaches Jimmy Johnson and Marv Levy, and football stars Gale Sayers, Matt Birk and Kyle Turley. Greg Brown, the CEO of Motorola, is also a member.

The board considers financial hardship, as well as the athlete’s ability to make a living.

These injuries often keep players from being able to work after their playing days are over, said Dr. Robert Palumbo, vice president of OAA Orthopaedic Specialists in Allentown, Pa, one of the practices participating in the cause.

“These guys go through the NFL and they’re taken care of when they’re on the teams, but when they’re done, sometimes they have such devastating problems that they’re unemployable,” Palumbo said. “If they’re unemployable, they’re uninsurable. If they’re uninsurable, they can’t take care of ongoing problems.”

Palumbo’s group is joined by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago, the Laser Spine Institute in Tampa, Fla, and Cundy insurance benefit consultants in partnering with the organization.

Gridiron Greats president and former Bears executive Ken Valdiserri said he gets one to three calls per week from medical practices hoping to partner with the organization. Valdiserri has turned the task of selecting new partners over to the newly formed Medical Advisory Board, which is headed by Vincent Hudson, the chief operating officer of OAA Orthopaedics.

“We have to filter through those groups who actually want to help and will provide 'pro bono' services versus the medical provider who is trying to use a player to gain some notoriety,” Hudson said.

The organization receives 10 to 15 calls per week from retired players seeking assistance. As a result, Ditka said they are trying to get as many medical partners as they can from around the country so they don’t have to incur travel expenses sending retirees all over the U.S. for treatment.

“There is a group in Arizona, there is a group in Texas, there are groups around the country [that have contacted us], there is probably a group in the Pacific Northwest and in California too that we don’t know about, but that would be willing to help,” Ditka said. “There are people out there that want to help.”

The press conference came one day before a Congressional hearing in Washington began on NFL head injuries. At the hearing, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declined to directly connect playing football with developing mental disorders later in life.

A recent study from the University of Michigan reported that 6.1 percent of the 670 NFL retirees surveyed over the age of 50 had “dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related disease,” compared to 1.2 percent in the general population. Of the 374 retirees surveyed between 30 and 49 years old, 1.9 percent reportedly had one of these conditions, compared with 0.1 percent in the general population.

Former offensive tackle Kyle Turley expected to speak at the event, but could not attend due to a head injury issue he has been battling since retiring after the 2007 season.

“I hope they understand that it’s time to quit talking about it and do something about it. There’s no question the head injuries have caused problems,” Ditka said.