Sports Medicine Fellowship

Position Overview

• Organization: Cleveland Browns Football Club
• Department: Health and Performance
• Reports to: Head Athletic Trainer
• Term: One year (12 months), full-time
• Location: Berea, Ohio, with team travel
  
  

The Cleveland Browns are seeking a highly motivated Sports Medicine Fellow for a one-year, full-time position. The fellowship is designed for licensed healthcare providers - Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), or Master of Science athletic trainers (MS, ATC) - who are recent graduates or are engaged in post-doctoral education or research.

The program gives academically motivated sports medicine clinicians a pathway into professional football while strengthening the Browns' culture of research and innovation. The Fellow works across the medical, sports science, and strength & conditioning staffs on player health monitoring, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and data-driven performance modeling. The goal is a clinician-scientist who can deliver hands-on care and turn player data into better decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Care & Player Health

Assist with evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and return-to-play progressions under the direction of the sports medicine staff and team physicians.

• Provide pre-practice and pre-game taping, bracing, and activation/strengthening work to support player readiness.
• Participate in player assessments, biomechanical screenings, and neuromuscular evaluations, including preseason and in-season screening.
• Support emergency action plan readiness, including sideline medical setup and staff emergency drills.
• Maintain accurate, timely medical documentation in the club's electronic medical record, following league and HIPAA confidentiality requirements.
• Supervise athlete transportation to off-site clinical appointments when necessary.
  
  

Performance Integration

• Partner with strength & conditioning staff to apply data-driven insights to training loads, recovery, and the transition from rehabilitation to full performance training.
• Help design and monitor individualized recovery and late-stage rehab plans alongside performance coaches.
• Contribute to the season-long performance plan (offseason program, training camp, in-season, bye weeks) from a player-health perspective.
  
  

Sports Science & Data

• Assist in integrating and evaluating new technologies (wearables, motion capture, neuromuscular assessment tools) for validity, reliability, and practical value.
• Help maintain data quality and standardized testing protocols across departments.
  
  

Applied Research

• Assist with applied research on injury prevention, rehabilitation outcomes, biomechanics, and performance optimization.
• Support literature reviews, study design, data analysis, and preparation of abstracts or manuscripts where appropriate and approved by the club.
  
  

Daily Athletic Training & Operational Support

• Assist with morning training room setup, ensuring medical supplies, hydration materials, and emergency equipment are ready.
• Maintain daily treatment logs, injury reports, and inventory tracking.
• Assist with practice setup and breakdown, including rehabilitation equipment, hydration stations, and sideline medical support.
• Support team travel logistics, including packing medical trunks, hydration supplies, and emergency medical kits.
• Provide hotel coverage and player bed checks when required for away games.
  
  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

By the end of the fellowship, the Fellow will be able to:

• Deliver evidence-based care across the full injury timeline, from prevention and acute management through return to play, in a professional football setting.
• Communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary team of athletic trainers, physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, performance coaches, and sport scientists.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret athlete monitoring data, and explain its practical meaning to both clinical and non-clinical audiences.
• Critically evaluate new sports medicine and sports science technology before adoption.
• Design and complete an applied research project relevant to football player health.
  
  

Development Opportunities Include

• Mentorship from the Browns' athletic training, sports science, and strength & conditioning leadership, with scheduled quarterly reviews.
• Rotations across the athletic training room, weight room, and sports science department.
• Exposure to league-wide education
• Continuing education to maintain licensure and certification.
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• Doctoral degree (DAT, DPT, or DC) or Master of Science with ATC credential (MS, ATC), AND/OR a current Ph.D. student or recent Ph.D. graduate in Sports Medicine, Biomechanics, Exercise Science, Rehabilitation Science, Data Science, or a related field.
• Licensed or certified in a relevant discipline (ATC, DPT, or DC), and eligible for Ohio state licensure before the start date.
• Current CPR/AED certification for the professional rescuer (or equivalent), plus emergency care training.
• Familiarity with sports science technology such as force plates, GPS tracking, dynamometry, and biomechanical assessment tools.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, nights, weekends, holidays, and team travel.
  
  

Preferred

• Clinical experience with collegiate or professional football, or other high-level team sports.
• Experience with athlete management systems and electronic medical records.
• Strength & conditioning credential (e.g., CSCS) or experience working within a performance department.
• Research experience with peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.
• Additional clinical credentials (e.g., SCS, CCSP, or similar sports certifications).
  
  

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Work takes place in athletic training rooms, weight rooms, outdoor and indoor practice fields, stadiums, and during team travel, in all weather conditions.
• Must be able to stand for long periods, move quickly on the field in an emergency, and lift and carry up to 50 lbs (medical trunks, hydration equipment).
• Hours are long and seasonal: training camp and the regular season demand the heaviest schedule.