Flint Medical Student Scores Lions Sideline Experience
October 21, 2025
Detroit Lions fever is running high — and for Flint Campus student William Galardi (M4) that excitement took new meaning when he had an opportunity to combine his lifelong fandom with his medical school journey through the NFL Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative.
The NFL Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative began in 2022 and allows medical students across the country to complete a clinical rotation with an NFL team. Galardi was chosen as the one medical student to get that hands-on experience with his hometown team, the Detroit Lions.
“Being on the sidelines for player evaluations gave me a front-row seat to the precision and adrenaline of sports medicine,” said Galardi. “I learned how medical teams make critical decisions in seconds to protect the health and careers of professional athletes.”
Galardi’s month with the Lions started during the preseason in August, where he attended team practices and worked closely with the Lions’ athletic trainers and player health and performance staff allowing him to observe return-to-play assessments and see how practice loads were monitored and adjusted based on player health and recovery.
“Watching how the medical and performance staff worked seamlessly alongside coaches and players reinforced for me the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of sports medicine,” said Galardi.
In addition to the training room and sideline exposure, Galardi also had the opportunity to work with the team’s orthopedic surgeons.
“Scrubbing into their surgical cases gave me a clearer picture of how operative decision-making differs for professional athletes and the continuity of care from the sideline to the operating room,” said Galardi. “This experience deepened my understanding of the surgeon’s role within a broader sports medicine team and further solidified my interest in pursuing a career at the intersection of orthopedics and athletics.”
The rotation offered Galardi a rare, behind-the-scenes look at professional football medicine and ignited a passion for helping people stay active at every stage of life.
“Working with athletes who have a drive to remain active, whether it's returning to the NFL field or simply being able to throw a ball with their kids without pain, gave me a real glimpse of what I want my future career to be which is restoring mobility, identity, and purpose to my patients.”
By Emily Linnert
Related
NFL Announces 2024 Class of "NFL Sports Medicine Pipeline Program"