Ex-NFL Doctor Defends Scouts And Coaches Who Ignored David Ojabo After Achilles Injury

• A former NFL team doctor attempted to defend the scouts and coaches who seemingly ignored David Ojabo after he injured his Achilles
• David J. Chao provided some insight into why the outrage could be overblown
• Read more football news here

There’s obviously no such thing as a “good” injury when you’re an athlete, but it’s hard not to feel particularly bad for anyone who falls victim to an issue during a non-contact play like the one that forced Odell Beckham Jr. to prematurely exit Super Bowl LVI.

Last week, David Ojabo succumbed to a similarly brutal fate while showing off his skills at Michigan’s Pro Day, as the linebacker (who many people predicted would be snapped up in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft) saw that future cast into doubt after he collapsed to the turf with what was ultimately diagnosed as an Achilles tear.

Over the weekend, a video of Ojabo going down became the subject of plenty of scrutiny courtesy of many people who were less than thrilled that the scouts and other personnel in his vicinity neglected to check in on the injured player or attempt to come to his aide—including one guy who casually scooped up the football he’d just caught without even acknowledging the fact that he was writing in pain.

That may be the textbook definition of “a bad look,” but we also got a bit of perspective courtesy of David Chao, an orthopedic surgeon who spent 17 years as the Head Team Physician for the Chargers.

Chao addressed the criticisms by pointing out everyone on the field was likely very aware that there was a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) on hand for this kind of situation and implied anyone who had a key role at the event would have been wise enough to not attempt to attend to Ojabo because it was only a matter of time until a more qualified person would step in.

The voice of reason has spoken.