Tag: Al Bellamy

Commanders bring back former assistant trainer after 19-month leave

Doug Quon was initially placed on leave in Oct. 2021 after the DEA opened an investigation into Washington’s former head trainer, Ryan Vermillion.

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The Washington Commanders brought back a familiar face Friday, announcing the re-hiring of former assistant athletic trainer Doug Quon.

Quon, who was initially hired by Washington in April 2014, was placed on administrative leave on Oct. 9, 2021, when the DEA raided the team’s practice facility as part of an investigation into former head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion.

The team placed Quon on leave without clarification due to the investigation into Vermillion. However, Quon was not charged with any wrongdoing and was welcomed back, as both the NFL and NFLPA approved Quon’s re-hiring, according to John Keim of ESPN.

The Commanders released the following statement.

“Player health and safety is our top priority, and we are pleased to continue to build up our training staff with another seasoned professional with the reinstatement of Doug Quon in the role of assistant athletic trainer,” the statement said. “We are happy to welcome him back.”

Vermillion was eventually fired by Washington, and in April 2022, the Commanders hired Al Bellamy as the new head athletic trainer. Washington also added Lindsay Gately as an assistant athletic trainer/physical therapist to the staff last year.

Before coming to Washington in 2014, Quon worked with UC-Irvine, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs in different roles. He was a part of the Washington training staff that won the Ed Block Training Staff of the Year.

Commanders hire Lindsay Gately to serve as assistant athletic trainer

Gately will report directly to head trainer Al Bellamy.

The Washington Commanders made history Tuesday by hiring Lindsay Gately as the team’s assistant athletic trainer/physical therapist. Gately becomes the first full-time female on the athletic training staff in the franchise’s 90-year history.

Gately will report directly to head athletic trainer Al Bellamy. Bellamy was hired in April to replace Ryan Vermillion.

Gately comes to Washington from Wake Forest where she served as an assistant football athletic trainer/physical therapist for the football program. Gately worked with the coaching on player injuries and their rehabilitation process, among other duties.

Before her role at Wake Forest, Gately spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and interned with the Pittsburgh Steelers. She is a native of Long Island, New York, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from the University of Pittsburgh and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California

Washington head coach Ron Rivera released the following statement on Gately’s hiring:

“We are excited to welcome Lindsay to the Washington Commanders organization, where she will join a great team led by Al Bellamy,” said Rivera. “The health and safety of our players is our top priority, and she will help us build on this emphasis with her tremendous experience at both the NFL and NCAA Division I level.”

Bellamy offered the following statement:

“Lindsay is going to add value to our department in both the athletic training and physical therapy areas of the operation,” he said. “She is an extremely polished and exceptional trainer and comes highly recommended from all her former employers. I’m excited to welcome her to our staff as we continue to provide the best possible healthcare to our players.”

Lastly, Gately commented on her new assignment.

“I’m extremely thankful to the Washington Commanders organization for making me a member of this storied franchise,” said Gately. “I look forward to joining a great staff headed by Al Bellamy and doing my part to assist the players and staff to the best of my abilities.”

From all indications, Gately will start immediately, giving Bellamy some much-needed help as Washington’s roster is battling a litany of early-season injuries.

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Ron Rivera releases statement on Ryan Vermillion

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera released a statement on former trainer Ryan Vermillion.

The saga surrounding former Washington Commanders trainer Ryan Vermillion ended Friday when he reached a deal with prosecutors to avoid being charged for illegally distributing opioids.

Vermillion was hired by Washington head coach Ron Rivera shortly after his hiring ahead of the 2020 season. Vermillion was placed on leave by Washington back on Oct. 4, 2021, after the DEA conducted a raid at Washington’s facility and a nearby home.

While Vermillion was placed on leave and Washington used interns and others to fill his role for the remainder of the 2021 NFL season. The Commanders hired Al Bellamy in April as the new head athletic trainer.

Rivera released a statement on Vermillion Friday via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post:

The NFL suspended Vermillion indefinitely, but he can apply for reinstatement after one year. NFL, in conjunction with the NFLPA, launched a joint investigation.

Before coming to Washington, Vermillion spent 18 years as the Carolina Panthers head athletic trainer.

 

 

Commanders hire Al Bellamy as new head trainer

Washington brings back a familiar face as the team’s new head athletic trainer.

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After going without an official head trainer since early October, the Washington Commanders finally hired Ryan Vermillion’s replacement Monday. Al Bellamy, the director of athletic training for Temple University for the past nine years, is Washington’s new head trainer.

This will be Bellamy’s second stint with the Commanders, as he previously spent 13 years with the organization. Hired in 1988 as an assistant trainer, Bellamy was a part of Washington’s medical staff in 1991, when the franchise won its last Super Bowl.

Overall, Bellamy has spent 25 years in the NFL. After a 13-year tenure in Washington, Bellamy spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, where he helped manage the team’s athletic training staff and worked with the team’s physicians.

A Washington, D.C. native, Bellamy received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State. From there, he earned his master’s degree in health education from Syracuse in 1984.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera welcomed Bellamy back to Washington in a statement released by the team:

“I am excited to welcome Al Bellamy back to Washington,” said Rivera. “His experience and professionalism are both traits that we were looking for when making this hire. I’m looking forward to working with Al here in Washington and I know his knowledge and expertise will be invaluable for our players and coaches.”

Bellamy also released a statement through the team:

My family and I are extremely excited for this opportunity to join the Washington Commanders as its head athletic trainer. I’m thankful and humbled by the responsibility that Coach Rivera and the organization have bestowed upon me. I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to work with a tremendous group of people in our medical staff, strength staff and all involved in the health care and performance of our players. I would also like to thank Mr. Arthur Johnson, Coach Stan Drayton and Temple University who have provided me with support and respect for my decision to accept this position. It is hard for me to comprehend that I’m following in the footsteps of Bubba Tyer, and those are big shoes to fill. I’m going to hit the ground running and can’t wait to help contribute to what Coach Rivera is building here in Washington.

Washington general manager and former cornerback for the team, Martin Mayhew, called Bellamy “one of the finest I’ve had the privilege of working with in the NFL.”

Washington did not disclose the status of Vermillion, who has not been charged after being placed on leave in October when the Drug Enforcement Administration served search warrants on Washington’s team headquarters and a Northern Virginia home last year.