Alec Stahly offered prestigious seasonal NFL internship after graduation.
This August, Pioneer Alec Stahly—a current athletic training major—completed a five-week internship with the Kansas City Chiefs at the NFL’s summer training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. Impressed by his performance, the NFL offered Stahly a second internship with the Chiefs, only this time it will take place during the full 2016 football season. Stahly said he is humbled by the offer and plans to accept.
“Simply having the NFL on a resume sets you apart,” Stahly said. “The internship is highly sought after, and that’s just for the summer training camp. A full NFL season internship—now that’s even more prestigious.”
The NFL mandates that all interns participating in the full season obtain an Athletic Training Certification, as well as pass the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification Exam. Athletic training majors at MNU are required to pass both examinations before graduation, and Stahly is projected to complete his by 2016.
Stahly said he was first inspired to apply with the NFL after witnessing Brandon Harvey—also an athletic training major—find success as an intern with the San Francisco 49ers. After applying with a number of teams, MNU clinical coordinator Jimmy Ntelekos—a former Chief’s employee—gave Stahly his recommendation.
Stahly also credits Brendon Powers, MNU director of sports medicine, for helping him land the position.
“Brendon was also a seasonal intern for the Chiefs,” Stahly said. “His recommendation helped tremendously.”
Stahly said his schedule during the internship was demanding. The student was required to be on the playing field 12 to 13 hours per day with no days off. His duties consisted primarily of identifying and reporting injuries on the field, attending to emergency equipment, as well as assisting medical staff with the rehabilitation of injured players. Due to his status as an uncertified intern, Stahly was not authorized to directly treat NFL players, but he said the opportunity for observation and assistance during incidents of injury provided him with valuable field experience.
One of the most prominent Chiefs players Stahly had the chance to work with is free safety Eric Berry. According to the Kansas City Star, Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma—a type of cancer which infects the lymph nodes. On July 28th—just eight months after his initial diagnosis—Berry publicly announced he was cancer free after a series of successful radiation and chemotherapies. Stahly said it was an honor not only to work with Berry, but also to watch him complete his first pre-season interception after beating cancer.
“To see someone overcome that kind of adversity and continue to play at such a level was really inspiring,” Stahly said. “Not only to me, but to the whole team.”
Stahly said that Berry’s bravery both on and off the field demonstrates why he chose to become an athletic training major.
“Sometimes the grind of getting someone through something like this is challenging,” Stahly said. “But the reward is when you see them go back out and continue to do what they love.”
Stahly is currently working as an intern with the Eagles high school football team at Olathe North. This latest experience is part of MNU’s mandatory offsite sports rotation for athletic training majors. Stahly said he works directly under the supervision of Wayne Harmon—the designated sports trainer from Olathe Medical Center who oversees ON’s athletic programs. Under Harmon’s supervision, Stahly is allowed a wider degree of participation in the treatment of players when compared to his internship with the Chiefs.
“The thing you have to keep in mind is, to their parents, these kids are still worth millions of dollars,” Stahly said. “It’s still a huge responsibility.’”
Christopher Crawford, assistant professor of athletic training at MNU, speaks highly of Stahly as both an individual and a student.
“Plain and simple, Alec rocks” Crawford said. “I believe that he has the potential to do incredible things. He is an outstanding athletic training student and an even better young man!”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.mnu.edu/newsroom/article/pioneer-interns-with-kc-chiefs