Dr. Shawn Eagle

So, you know, you have two more weeks and you're out.

And I was really, really, really embarrassed because I just got canned from my alma mater high school where, you know, my friends, little brothers and sisters are on the team.

My coaches are still there.

are still there.

I was very, very humbled by that.

Some period of time later, not that long, because I only had two weeks, I saw a posting for the University of Pittsburgh to work in human performance research, collecting data with special forces military personnel.

I was like, that sounds amazing.

Let's give this a try.

And having that literature review on my CV,

And also having a recommendation from a Titan athletic trainer in this area, Tony Solisi.

He was the head athletic trainer, men's basketball athletic trainer during the glory years of Pitt men's basketball.

There was something about out-of-state students where we had to get a credit for a one-month internship to keep the funds coming in.

When I went home for that six-week period, I did four weeks with Tony and his staff here at Pitt.

His recommendation sealed me getting that job.

It gave me another shot at something different.

I think this is a big part of why I'm so passionate about the CTE side of things is I don't know what, I had great parents, but I don't know what I would be without football.

It's a general, you know, it,

and it was so foundational to my life and the character and the person I want to be.

Um, and I, uh,

I don't want that to go away for so many young men who are searching for something as of science that we are not very confident about at the moment.