Gergens Orthodontic Lab Supporting Retired NFL Players Cardiovascular and Sleep Health

David Gergen president of Gergen’s orthodontic lab is also the president of ProPlayer Health Alliance an organization that strives to educate and treat retired NFL players with Obstructive sleep apnea. ProPlayer Health Alliance has worked for many years with the NFLPA as part of the Living Heart Foundation’s HOPE program.

“My goal, being in the position I’m in, is to maintain overall good health among the players by treating their sleep apnea and positively impacting their weight and diagnosing and treating their sleep apnea.” – David Gergen

Dr Archie Roberts- The Living Heart Foundation is a traveling group that partners with hospitals and organizations around the country, and helps to evaluate cardiovascular risk in former NFL football players. and other people in society.

Tony Dorsett Hall of Fame NFL player – Wellness you have got to keep wellness in your life. That’s important not just to me and I try to stress that to all the guys., any athlete that I come around.

Mike Smith Former NFL player- something like this program is really important to get in and evaluate where we are before something happens or get serious. This is a great event.

Mike Davis Former NFL player- I think it is a good thing on behalf of the living heart foundation to do this cardiovascular screening because it is something really needed. Not only for the players that are here from the Arizona retired players chapter to maintain their health. Not only with the piece of mind at this event to get all these tests done but it also translates into our family for them to have the piece of mind that we are healthy.

Dr Archie Roberts Living Heart Foundation- When we see problems with hypertension or high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnea. We now have solutions that we can now work with them to achieve better health and do it in a preventative and advanced way rather than waiting for bad things to happen.

David Gergen ProPlayer Health Alliance- I’m really excited and really impressed these guys really turned out to get treated.

Dallas Hickman Former NFL player- This is my fourth time they have come to Phoenix metropolitan area providing opportunities for former players like myself to go through a very comprehensive assessment to determine the quality of their heart and myself and former colleagues are preemptive and seeing where we stand.

David Gergen ProPlayer Health Alliance- They are getting their heart checked their blood work done seeing if there is something wrong and they are also getting a sleep apnea screen which requires an overnight test at home.

JT Smith Former NFL Player – you see a lot of guys that you haven’t seen in a while . It is good that everyone is finding out because sometimes everyone goes through some type of program but no one tells each other. So now the communication is getting out there and its great to see a lot of guys doing well.

Lincoln Kennedy Hall of Fame NFL Player- It doesn’t matter what team you played for you all know what it is like to go through two a days. You all know what its like to put on the gear. You all know what its like to have that beat up body post game and through the offseason. So there is a fraternity a brotherhood amongst us. It doesn’t matter what team you played for we all know the struggles, so yes we do take it personally try to stand up for one another.

Sid Justin Former NFL Player- I am just trying to stay alive another couple years or so. That’s the process here you know we are trying to prevent things. This event is all about prevention.

Steve Holden Former NFL player- interview a lot of these young guys but for us old guys that played in the early 1970’s. This is very important for us. the game of any sports is very stressful. We are all reaching the age where we need to get these things taken care of.

Derek Kennard Former NFL player- Survive, live longer add years to your life. Even for our normal guys our Joe Shmoes we got to get them checked too. Hey, obesity runs really deep here in the United States we all need to lose weight we all need to sleep better. This coincides with sleep apnea and cardiovascular health its all about your heart.

Tony Dorsett Hall of Fame NFL player- you get the fellowship and all that stuff you see some of the guys, they are still trying to get a hit on me.

Mike Smith Former NFL player- I don’t know about the big its, I’m a punt returner so I miss those hits.

Dr Archie Roberts- We can all stand some adjustments after the football life is finished. What we are seeing now is a great camaraderie and a willingness to work together. Drs and Hospitals such as here at the Mayo clinic and within our communities we can get a game plan to improve health and hopefully leverage our improved health out to the community who might look to the NFL players as examples to follow. They might listen to the football player more than they listen to the Dr.