Anyone who has watched the Cleveland Browns for the past few seasons has asked themselves the same question — why can't this team stay healthy?
Just last year alone, they saw Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Deshaun Watson, Jedrick Wills, Jr., Dawand Jones, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Grant Delpit all head to the IR or at least miss significant time. While not every injury can be prevented, the Browns struggled more than most teams.
That's why Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry were thrilled to announce a new member of their organization. The Browns have signed Dr. Dustin Nabhan and named him their new head of athlete health and performance.
Nahban will be tasked with overseeing the training staff, which is led by Joe Sheehan. His goal will be to help the development of the players while putting health and injury prevention at the forefront. Berry released a statement on the hire, notating Nabhan's work in the Olympics and Paralympics where he has been involved in injury prevention research programs.
"Dustin brings a wealth of multidisciplinary knowledge across this space and rich experience in competitive athletics from his 12 years working with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Dustin has extensive experience directing athlete patient care across many sports and has successfully overseen injury prevention and research programs. He brings an insatiable work ethic, a natural curiosity to find innovative health solutions and a relatability that our players and staff will appreciate. We look forward to seeing Dustin integrate into our team and augment our existing practices.” — Browns GM Andrew Berry on Dr. Dustin Nabhan
This will be the first time Nabhan has worked in the NFL but he has an impressive resume that includes studying at the Norwegian School of Sport Science in Oslo, Norway, and doing his fellowship at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Cleveland has one of the deepest rosters in the NFL and they found a way to win 11 games and make the playoffs even with the myriad of injuries. If Nabhan's appointment can help them minimize missed games, especially for star players, it could be what they need to finally make noise in the postseason.
