Former NFL player and Newport Beach resident finds his calling in medicine

When players retire from the National Football League, it can be difficult to transition into a life away from the gridiron.

“You’ve been playing the game for so long and whether you want to admit it or not, you are mentally, physically and emotionally invested with this sport,” said Damien Richardson.

But Richardson had a passion that dwarfed even his love for football.

Richardson, 43, of Newport Beach became an orthopedic surgeon after playing seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He recently started working at the Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Newport Beach.

“Football was never the endgame for me,” Richardson said. “I don’t want to minimize how great my experience was because it was fantastic and I put my heart in it. But at the end of the day, I knew I was going to be a doctor.”

Damien Richardson wanted to be a doctor before he ever became a professional football player.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Richardson‘s desire to enter the medical industry predated his college years at Arizona State University, where he attended on a football scholarship. He majored in bio-engineering.

“I decided I wanted to help people on a more personal basis,” Richardson said. “I really gravitated toward the patient care part of medicine.”

While at ASU, Richardson served as a three-year starter and team captain, playing in the Sun and Rose bowls.

His dedication to learning earned him the nickname “The Professor.” He was always trying to fit in some extra study time, whether watching film or burying himself in his books at the library.

It was a surprise to Richardson when the Carolina Panthers drafted him in the sixth round.

“I was a pretty serious student,” Richardson said. “I wasn’t the guy that saw myself going and playing pro ball.”

Richardson played for the Panthers from 1998 to 2004 on special teams and as a strong safety. His time with the team included a conference championship and a trip to Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Former Panthers teammate and friend Hannibal Navies said Richardson was the hardest working player on and off the field.

“He’s always working when you’re not watching,” Navies said. “That’s the test if somebody is going to be successful — working when nobody is watching. He’s a maximum effort guy who’s going to give it his all.”

Navies said Richardson’s penchant for learning was continually showing up in the locker room.

“He was a nerd,” Navies said, laughing. “He would always be very interested in these nerdy things and we would be like, ‘Man, nobody cares about that.’”

Richardson’s football career was derailed after he suffered two injuries in consecutive years. He decided to retire and finally pursue the medical career he’d always envisioned.

“I have no bitterness toward football,” Richardson said. “I wouldn’t do anything different. After playing for that long, I definitely have my aches and pains in the morning.”

Richardson went on to attain a medical degree from UC San Francisco and a master’s in public health at Harvard University.

He said football prepared him for the rigors of being a surgeon.

“I wasn’t scared of the culture of surgery coming from sports,” Richardson said. “It’s very hierarchical and militaristic. You have to pay your dues and put your work in.

“It can be a stressful job, and the coping skills I learned— and how to perform through [the stress] as a pro athlete — certainly help keep me grounded.”

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