Rams Reggie Scott is more than just a trainer – Orange County Register

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Reggie Scott, the Rams vice president of medicine and athletic performance, has a broader responsibility than he may have had in recent days that, as he puts it, teams have a coach with a roll of tape and a bottle of water. His name comes up anytime coaches and players talk about injury recovery, COVID-19 issues and more. Scott, 42, a Dover, Delaware native with degrees from West Coast and California University of Pennsylvania, is president of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society. As he neared his 12th season with the Rams, managing nearly 20 people, Scott spoke with the Rams who beat up writer Kevin Modesti on a patio with teams at the training-camp hotel in Newport Beach. The conversation has been edited for short.

How has your job changed from the days of a trainer with ankle tape to what you do today?

Very good. Its too advanced. I always tell people who pretty much run a health care facility on site, from the rehabilitation we do, to all the medical stuff, now that’s getting a pandemic. All emerging sciences, even the world of performance, strength and conditioning. Everything from a cold head to a torn ACL, manages. This is a big, big task.

The Rams ’medical issue right now is Cam Akers. What kind of recovery can one expect for a runner back in his early 20’s from an Achilles ’tear?

You expect a great recovery for a child like this. He got that for her. We got a great surgeon at Dr. Neal ElAttrache. And you get a kid to whom is super-focused and works his tail. So that’s just a great combination for a guy to come back and be strong if not better than before.

The Rams have a 39-year-old left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, a 34-year-old wide receiver, DeSean Jackson, a 33-year-old quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Aaron Donald, hard to believe, is only 30. Can you do more over the years to help players expand their careers? Will we see more Tom Bradys, playing well in their 40s?

Yes, I think modern medicine and innovation and what has been learned about performance and integrated care has improved. Life expectancy will be better. It’s very similar to football. I think we have been very proactive in how we take care of men, and I think people have become more educated about how to take care of themselves. There are many things that must go your way, too, to play long in this game. That’s a really elite group of people you’re talking about, and it’s a credit to who they are.

Speaking of Aaron Donald, the best defensive lineman going: Players and coaches talk about what has been great for him. What is unique about him to someone on sports medicine?

For someone who is very good at what he does, he attacks the weight room every day as if to earn it. He prepares like no other. She has become better over the years at knowing how to take care of her body. I love the way, over the past few years, he’s been starting to learn how to come back and be smart with recovery techniques. Many people, you have to push them to prepare. To him, total opposite. You need to undo this person.

Fans looked at Tutu Atwell and assumed that a 5-foot-9, 160 (ish) -pound rookie wide receiver would definitely get hurt. What can you tell them?

We found no predictor of injuries. We can do many things to mitigate the risk, but I just can’t predict the injuries. Tutu Atwell, the way he approaches the game and takes care of himself, can be successful in this league.

Does the Rams do anything weird to prepare a team for the rise from 16 to 17 regular season games, showing another chance to get tired or hurt?

I don’t think our strategy has changed that much for another game. Obviously, we lost a preseason game (going four to three) and our starters didn’t play much or at all in the preseason. Imagine that it sticks to our process, and that super game will take care of itself.

How well are the NFL and the Rams handling the COVID-19?

So, in the midst of the biggest pandemic of our lives, we didn’t miss any football games. I can grade that a bit. The league really did a great job of creating an environment for us to be healthy and safe. That was the North Star in it all. People who get sick get treatment early. It’s been a conservation strategy within the ecosystem that lives in that keeps it containing the best possible. This is a great approach of Dr. committee. Allen Sills, the NFLs chief medical officer, recruits experts around the world and many athletic trainers and many members from our involved Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society. Here it is, entering another era with confidence.

In talking to players about whether they should be vaccinated, did you learn anything that could be applied to efforts to persuade everyday people to get their shot?

I think the key ingredient in our immunization strategy is really to get good informative education, accurate information. That’s the approach I think we all need to do. Be knowledgeable so you can make the best decision for your health and safety.

In your experience as a Black man in an important role in the NFL, what would you tell players about how they should address and handle race issues, both inside and outside of the sport?

One of the biggest things is to be a listener. Be sure to create an environment to listen. I feel, with so many young African Americans in this group, to listen to them and be able to guide them a little bit is probably one of the biggest things I can do. It has been a blessing to be there and listen and help guide.

How well is the NFL dealing with head injuries and improving protection?

I think the progress has been very good. You look at Biocore, the league-hired bio-engineering company, and look at helmet wear. When I first got into this business, a lot of helmets didn’t really qualify for the game. We know that helmets clearly don’t eliminate concussions, but reducing it by making better equipment, fits better. With all the money the NFL has put into research, you start to feel the fruits of it. We’ve got ways to go, but it’s been a big change and I’m really excited to be there.

We see coaches like Rams Sean McVay regularly touching key players in pre-season games, reflecting the inherent danger of playing football. If a parent looks at that and wonders, Is football safe for my child ?, what can you tell them?

We have three preseason games, we have a 17-game season. Exposure reduction strategy is kind of our approach. From a health and safety perspective, I think our game continues to show improvement. I can say it will come back to people teaching themselves, researching things. It really promises to see how much is being done to keep our game healthy and safe for everyone’s longevity.

How safe was the artificial turf at SoFi Stadium last season? How is it now that more events are held there?

We know that artificial turf has about a 45% increase in damage rate compared to natural grass. Thats just a fact. The NFL researched how we could reduce that gap. There are many variables. I said, we make sure we have the best turf we can get to reduce risk. We found one of the best companies, in Hellas, really excited to work. We then hired full-time staff for SoFi who managed the infill exactly how we needed it. I think last year we did it really well.

Simone Biles, on the heels of Naomi Osaka, focuses on mental health athletes. Do you, or can you, see similar cases in football players struggling with the stresses of the sport’s mindset?

Many athletes, even football players, come out and talk about their mental health and some of the things they have done to help their mental health. I think that’s awesome. I think awareness is important.

What would make a successful season for the VP of sports medicine and performance?

How can I measure success? I kind of take this from Aaron Donald: I lowered my head and focused on my process. When you look and look at success, that’s when things go wrong.

If the Rams won the Super Bowl, you contributed in many ways.

There are a lot of moving parts for us to win the Super Bowl, and Id have to be just a small part of it. But if we win the Super Bowl, that will be a pretty darned successful year.

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