Media Contacts:
NFL Alumni Association, Jim Morris, 973-775-2137, Jim.Morris@NFLAlumniAssociation.com
Morehouse School of Medicine, Chris Thrasher, 404-756-8800, cthrasher@msm.edu NFL Alumni Association and Morehouse School of Medicine Partner to Address Mental Health Issues The NFL Alumni Association and the Morehouse School of Medicine today announced a partnership to address mental health issues affecting retired NFL players and their families. The new partnership plans a series of mental health conferences for NFL alumni and their families to assist those in need and to provide comprehensive health care information for players in their post-NFL careers. The NFL alumni conferences will be held on the same day and in the same venues as similar sessions offered to the general public. "I've been fortunate to meet with hundreds of NFL alumni and their spouses during my first four months on the job." says George Martin, Alumni Association executive director. "While many of my former player colleagues are doing well, there are some who are not in good overall health, and that includes mental health. We believe that this program with the prestigious Morehouse School of Medicine will provide assistance and information that is not regularly available to large segments of our retired player population." Martin, a 14-year NY Giants veteran who took over the Alumni Association last October, is urging the NFL to financially support this new partnership. "While NFL owners have instituted a number of new medical benefits for our constituents," Martin says, "mental illness affects our players as it does the rest of this country's citizens. We are urging Commissioner Goodell and the NFL clubs to again step forward to help those players who helped build our league." Dr. David Satcher, a former United States Surgeon General, is the director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine. "Our partnership with the NFL Alumni Association will focus much needed attention on the plight of those who suffer from mental illness," says Dr. Satcher. "The problems of depression and dementia affect Americans of all backgrounds. If these issues can impair some of the strongest retired athletes, all of us need to get serious about budgeting dollars to address these diseases for all citizens." About NFL Alumni Association The NFL Alumni Association is an independent organization consisting of retired NFL player members that serves its mission by advocating for "quality of life" issues and improvement for NFL alumni; creating an enhanced value proposition for the brand "NFL Alumni" and aggressively marketing it to companies and non-profits that share our vision; delivering programs and services for members which enrich families and communities; continuing our historic mission of facilitating charitable initiatives and contributions. The NFLAA is an association governed and controlled by and dedicated to its NFL Alumni members. In October 2009, George Martin, a former New York Giant great and past president of the NFL Players Association, was selected as the Association's first Executive Director. The NFL Alumni Association advances its mission from its national headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, and more than two dozen chapters located across the country. About Morehouse School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine was founded in 1975 and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities; increasing the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce; and addressing primary health-care needs through programs in education, research, and service, with emphasis on people of color and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia and the nation. ### |
