Dozens of former professional football players turned out for a health screening on Saturday, encouraging others to get regular doctor checkups and to stay active.
Troy Davis is 35 and spent two years in the National Football League playing for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
“We’re used to seeing doctors annually, sometimes quarterly, whereas when we stop, we may not go to the doctor as regularly,” he said. “As you age, health things start to pop up.”
The Living Heart Foundation began these free screenings more than 20 years ago, targeting cities with large numbers of NFL alumni.
Atlanta has the second-largest community of NFL retirees in the country.
Saturday’s screening in Buckhead, hosted by Wellstar Health System, marked the seventh screening in Atlanta since 2006, drawing 36 ex-players and their wives.
The screenings encourage aging athletes not to let their health and fitness go to the sidelines.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Pregnant mom of 2 shot, killed on I-75 in rush hour traffic
- 4 Georgia State Patrol troopers fired for trying to get paid for injuries during chases
- Ex-husband of ‘Steve Harvey Morning Show’ co-host indicted under RICO Act faces additional charges
“Something happens to players at the end of their career,” said Andre Collins of the National Football League Players Association, which funds the screenings.
Collins played for the then-Redskins in their 1992 Super Bowl victory.
“Even though they are world-class athletes, they just shut down on the physical activities,” Collins said.
The screenings are comprehensive. They include blood work, EKGs, carotid ultrasounds, echocardiograms, and orthopedic evaluations.
If the screening unveils concerns, the players and their spouses are referred to a medical specialist at Wellstar.
Philip McKinnely is 72 and played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1976 to 1981 during his seven years in the NFL. He said he keeps healthy by working out every day and prioritizing health checkups.
“It’s just important to stay healthy, it’s just that simple,” he said. “And sometimes a lot of guys will not follow up on their health issues until something major happens to them.”
Collins said this screening should encourage everybody, especially men, not to ignore health matters and to stay active.
“The most important thing anyone could ever do for themselves is exercise,” he said. “It’s the most important thing.”
These screenings take place in four cities across the country every year.
“We just never know what’s going on inside our bodies, what’s building up, what’s slowing down,” he said. “You want those warning signs to give yourself time to do something about it. And that’s key.”
©2026 Cox Media Group
