Tag: head trainer

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 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.