USA FOOTBALL ADDS FORMER SUPER BOWL CHAMPION WILLIE McGINEST AND OTHER LEADERS TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today that WILLIE McGINEST, former NFL player and NFL Network analyst, DR. ALLEN SILLS, NFL Chief Medical Officer, and STAN WILCOX, executive vice president of regulatory affairs at the NCAA have joined its board of directors.
The independent non-profit's board is comprised of leaders in education, medicine and athletics. Board members guide and help USA Football to establish important standards and programs to advance, unify and grow the sport.
“Our board’s forward-thinking leadership and insight continues to help us reimagine and advance our sport for the good of young athletes,” USA Football CEO SCOTT HALLENBECK said. “We are pleased to add the significant credentials and experience that our three new members bring to our board.”
McGinest serves as an analyst for NFL Network after a successful 15-year NFL career. The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowl selection was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2015. He also is the founder of the Willie McGinest Freedom School, a non-profit foundation that provides social and cultural enrichment for at-risk youth. The Long Beach, Calif., native was recently named to the NFL Legends Youth Advisory Committee to assist and guide efforts to preserve and grow youth and high school football. The Nike Football Ambassador also serves as chairman of the Long Beach Patriots Youth Football Program.
“Football has instilled many foundational principles that have guided and directed me during each important step of my life,” McGinest said. “I look forward to advance the ultimate team sport for the benefit of athletes who love to play it.”
Dr. Sills is the NFL’s chief medical officer while serving Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a professor of neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation. He also is the founder and co-director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center. An active researcher, he’s published more than 150 scientific articles and presentations, including more than 40 in the past five years on sports concussion. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Sills has worked with numerous professional and collegiate sports programs and currently serves on the Football Development Model Council for USA Football.
“USA Football has been a leader in innovation around the health of youth players,” Sills said. “I’m proud to join the board and share my experience of over 20 years as a sideline physician and clinician who has cared for athletes at all levels of play. I look forward to working together to continue to improve the culture of safety in youth sports.”
Wilcox is the NCAA’s vice president of regulatory affairs. He previously served Florida State University as its vice president and director of athletics. During his tenure, Florida State student-athletes earned 200 All-America honors and posted a 3.0 GPA average for the 2017-18 academic year, the highest in the university’s esteemed history. Before arriving at Florida State, Wilcox was the deputy director of athletics at Duke University from 2008 to 2013. He also held posts at Notre Dame, his alma mater, and the Big East Conference.
“Football provides millions of today’s young athletes with vitally important exercise and friendships within the context of an exceptional team sport,” Wilcox said. “I’m honored to work alongside my new fellow board members and join USA Football’s commitment to make a great sport even better with standards that are noticed and emulated across our industry.”
USA Football certifies the greatest number of coaches annually among all U.S. Olympic committee members. The organization designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs for coaches, athletes and administrators.
USA Football Board of Directors:
Gen. Raymond T. Odierno (Ret.), Chairman
Todd Berry, American Football Coaches Association
Tom Cove, Sports & Fitness Industry Association
Woodie Dixon, Pac-12 Conference
Brad Garrett, Oregon School Activities Association
Roger Goodell*, National Football League
Cody Hawkins^, University of California-Davis
Oliver Luck, XFL
Dr. Michael McCrea, Medical College of Wisconsin
Willie McGinest, NFL Network
Mark Meana, Fairfax County (Va.) Youth Football League
Mark Murphy, Green Bay Packers
Dr. Karissa Niehoff, National Federation of State High School Associations
Elizabeth Okey^, Wintrust Financial Corporation
Kandice Pritchett Mitchell^, Atlanta Public Schools
Dr. Allen Sills, National Football League
Brad Smithey^, Freeport (Texas) Brazosport High School
Michael Strickland, Atlantic Coast Conference
Stan Wilcox, National Collegiate Athletic Association
*Ex officio member
^U.S. Football National Team Alumnus
About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance, unify and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and organizer of U.S. National Teams for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.