Winning is important to the athletic departments of both Alabama and Auburn universities, but keeping athletes healthy is even more important. That’s why both teams have top-notch primary care physicians at the ready to monitor each athlete’s health and address medical issues, whether illness or injury. Here’s a look at the universities’ head team doctors.
James B. Robinson, MD
The Head Team Physician for the University of Alabama, James Robinson, MD, believes you can’t be both a die-hard fan and a good team physician. “Being a fan can cloud your judgment because you can easily become more concerned with the team winning than the health and welfare of the athlete,” Robinson says.
Sending an athlete with a significant injury back on the field can lead to a wide variety of medical issues, including arthritis at an early age or, in some concussion-related cases, even death. “Back in the old days they really didn’t know the long-term consequences of just giving an injured athlete a shot to numb the pain so they could get back into the game,” Robinson says. “That may still happen these days if someone isn’t ethical, but I believe it’s extremely rare.”
The biggest misconception people have about Robinson’s job is that it’s glamorous, he says. “In fact, it’s just the opposite of that. It’s extremely demanding of your time, especially when you need to travel with the team, and there’s a lot of responsibility. Anytime there’s a problem with an athlete, even if it’s minor, there’s a sense of urgency,” he says.
Because Alabama’s football team has won three of the last four national championships, the pressure to keep the team at maximum health has only increased. But Robinson doesn’t let that unnerve him. “I know I can do as good a job as anybody,” he says.
Robinson, who had an interest in orthopedics but didn’t like surgery, was so intrigued by sports medicine that he decided to pursue it, including completing a Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. “Sports medicine was still a relatively new field at that time,” Robinson says.
While scouting for job opportunities following his fellowship in 1989, Robinson was contacted by Alabama’s head athletic trainer. He was asked to become the team physician for non-football athletes.
Robinson established a private practice in Tuscaloosa, now known as West Alabama Family Practice & Sports Medicine, in addition to his work with Alabama’s athletic department. Several years later, Robinson took on the football team physician role as well. “I worked by myself for seven years, but then I brought in two partners to the practice that came through the sports medicine fellowship program (now offered by the University of Alabama College Of Community Health Sciences),” says Robinson, who serves as the fellowship director.
Michael Goodlett, M.D.
During his 20 years as Team Physician at Auburn University, Michael Goodlett, MD, has had many rewarding experiences. Among the most gratifying is when he hears years later from athletes he’s treated. “When someone’s in town and stops by to say ‘thank you for taking such good care of me,’ that means a lot,” Goodlett says.
It also warms his heart that some former Auburn athletes he’s worked with have become physicians, including several with orthopedic fellowships. “When you think about the demanding schedule of an athlete and that they were able to participate in their sport and still maintain an extremely high grade point average, it’s really admirable,” Goodlett says.
Demands on college athletes have only increased over time. The greatest misconception the public has is that athletes only train during their season. The competition is so intense that the bar has been raised to the point that athletes are always training. “There is very little true down time, and many athletes work harder during their off-season,” Goodlett says.
The team physician views the student athletes he works with like his children and strives to give them the best care possible. That includes pulling them out of a game when needed. “It’s especially critical when someone has had a concussion. I want them to able to lead healthy and productive lives after they leave here,” he says.
Goodlett first became interested in medicine at an early age when he struggled to play baseball as an asthmatic. During medical school, like Robinson, he did a rotation with Dr. deShazo and was inspired to pursue sports medicine as a family practice physician. “I developed a real passion for working with athletes, which I still have,” says Goodlett, who is certified as a team physician by the American College of Sports Medicine.
After his family practice residency at UAB and Baptist Memorial Hospital, Goodlett worked in private practice and served as the team physician at Jacksonville State University. His interaction with renowned orthopedic surgeons Drs. James Andrews and Larry Lemak led to Goodlett’s being brought on in partnership with them as Auburn’s team physician.
Now Goodlett is a fulltime Auburn employee overseeing the health of about 500 student athletes as well as the athletic staff. He coordinates care with Andrews and on-staff Auburn physical therapists, certified athletic trainers and a dietician. “As their primary care physician I’m the gate keeper for the athlete’s medical care and follow any medical issues until they are resolved,” Goodlett says.
