Sports Medicine Fellowship

Cleveland Browns • Berea, OH

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Cleveland Browns are seeking a highly motivated Sports Medicine Fellow for a one-year, full-time position in Berea, Ohio, with team travel. The fellowship is designed for licensed healthcare providers—including Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), or Master of Science athletic trainers (MS, ATC)—who are recent graduates or engaged in post-doctoral education or research. The program offers academically motivated sports medicine clinicians a pathway into professional football while supporting the Browns’ research and innovation culture.

The Fellow works across medical, sports science, and strength and conditioning teams on player health monitoring, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and data-driven performance modeling. The role combines hands-on clinical care with the use of player data to inform decisions. The fellowship lasts 12 months, includes mentorship and rotations across departments, and supports continuing education to maintain licensure and certification.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree (DAT, DPT, or DC) or a Master of Science degree with an ATC credential (MS, ATC), and/or current Ph.D. student or recent Ph.D. graduate in Sports Medicine, Biomechanics, Exercise Science, Rehabilitation Science, Data Science, or a related field.
• Licensed or certified in a relevant discipline (ATC, DPT, or DC), and eligible for Ohio state licensure before the start date.
• Current CPR/AED certification for the professional rescuer or equivalent, plus emergency care training.
• Familiarity with sports science technology such as force plates, GPS tracking, dynamometry, and biomechanical assessment tools.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, nights, weekends, holidays, and team travel.
• Ability to stand for long periods, move quickly on the field in an emergency, and lift and carry up to 50 lbs.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical experience with collegiate or professional football, or other high-level team sports.
• Experience with athlete management systems and electronic medical records.
• Strength and conditioning credential (e.g., CSCS) or experience working within a performance department.
• Research experience with peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.
• Additional clinical credentials (e.g., SCS, CCSP, or similar sports certifications).

Responsibilities

• Assist with evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and return-to-play progressions under the direction of sports medicine staff and team physicians.
• Provide pre-practice and pre-game taping, bracing, and activation and strengthening work to support player readiness.
• Participate in player assessments, biomechanical screenings, and neuromuscular evaluations, including preseason and in-season screening.
• Support emergency action plan readiness, including sideline medical setup and staff emergency drills.
• Maintain accurate and timely medical documentation in the club’s electronic medical record in accordance with league and HIPAA confidentiality requirements.
• Supervise athlete transportation to off-site clinical appointments when necessary.
• Partner with strength and conditioning staff to apply data-driven insights to training loads, recovery, and the transition from rehabilitation to full performance training.
• Help design and monitor individualized recovery and late-stage rehabilitation plans with performance coaches.
• Contribute to the season-long performance plan, including offseason programming, training camp, in-season work, and bye weeks, from a player-health perspective.
• Assist in integrating and evaluating new technologies, including wearables, motion capture, and neuromuscular assessment tools, for validity, reliability, and practical value.
• Help maintain data quality and standardized testing protocols across departments.
• Assist with applied research on injury prevention, rehabilitation outcomes, biomechanics, and performance optimization.
• Support literature reviews, study design, data analysis, and preparation of abstracts or manuscripts when appropriate and approved by the club.
• Assist with morning training room setup and ensure medical supplies, hydration materials, and emergency equipment are ready.
• Maintain daily treatment logs, injury reports, and inventory tracking.
• Assist with practice setup and breakdown, including rehabilitation equipment, hydration stations, and sideline medical support.
• Support team travel logistics, including packing medical trunks, hydration supplies, and emergency medical kits.
• Provide hotel coverage and player bed checks when required for away games.

Benefits

• Mentorship from athletic training, sports science, and strength and conditioning leadership, with scheduled quarterly reviews.
• Rotations across the athletic training room, weight room, and sports science department.
• Exposure to league-wide education.
• Continuing education to maintain licensure and certification.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level